


The Crippled Drake (rewritten)

by ChildOfSolace



Series: (Rest in Peace) SkyeKnight's Adopted Works [7]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Disney, Dreamworks, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-07-30 16:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 38,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20100166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChildOfSolace/pseuds/ChildOfSolace
Summary: The Little Mermaid au! Hiccup is Berk Sanctuary's sole regent and chosen partner of the legendary Nightfury. Considering that, it should be given that he would be accepted but with his wandering mind & imagination he sees things differently that he ends up falling in love with a handsome human named Jackson Overland. So what happens when even this is used against him?





	1. Different Worlds

**Author's Note:**

> **Hamish "Hiccup" Horrendous Haddock - Ariel**   
**Jackson Frost "Jack" Overland - Prince Eric**   
**Stoick "The Vast" Horrendous Haddock - King Tryton**   
**Snoutlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs (Drake peers) - Ariel's sisters**   
**Gobber - Seahorse herald**   
**Astrid - Sebastian**   
**Toothless - Flounder**   
**Pitchner - Ursula**   
**Flotsam and Jetsam - Fearlings**   
**Jamie - The girl appearance Ursula will later transform into**   
**Bork week - Concert Ariel forgot about**
> 
> Sequel is up: [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20040106/chapters/48216793)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Very important warning** Don't like Disney remakes, don't read.

The sky. Birds are flying and soaring happily at its limitless azure domain. From the fog an air ship appears bursting through the clouds. Dawn was just breaking and streaks of sunlight shown from the horizon.

Airship Sailors were singing off key but in merriment, feeling the weather was a good day for flying.

_"I'll tell you a tale of the vast azure blue_

_And it's hey to the starboard, heave ho_

_Look out, lad, a Dragon be waitin' for you_

_In mysterious breadth above."_

A teenager, with his hair chocolate brown in color took a breath, grinning and enjoying the air from the breeze around him as he climbed the edge of the ship, hanging onto the roped shrouds as a Greyhound bark excitedly at him.

"Isn't this great? The fresh high air, the wind blowing in your face... a perfect day to be at the skies!" The teenager laughed, looking back to two adults. One, a large man in a red suit wearing a black top hat and beside him was a lean but muscle-toned man wearing his hair into a ponytail, dressed in hunter garbs who was busy trying not to throw up.

Leaning over side, the latter moaned in response. "Sure mate... Urp... Great..."

The teen laughed and finally decided to get down and helped the sailors keeping the ship in shape, gathering some ropes while doing so.

"A fine strong wind and a following breeze. Stoick the Vast must be in a friendly-type mood."

The teenager gave the sailor a once over. "Stoick the Vast?"

"Why, ruler of the Dragons and Drakes, lad. Taking command somewhere far up high in a Sanctuary. Thought every good airship sailor knew about him."

The ponytailed man rolled his eyes. "Dragon and Drakes!" He scoffed "Oy, snowflake, pay no attention to this bloody nonsense."

A sailor came up to the man, practically flailing a seemingly dead eagle across his face. "But it ain't nonsense, it's the truth! I'm tellin' you, far up high in the limitless vastness o' the sky they live." The sailor gestures wildly, an Eagle was smacked by his hand. It scowls at the man before flying away, taking wing to the skies higher and higher until the singing of the sailors slowly faded out.

_"Heave. ho. Heave, ho._

_In mysterious breadth above..."_

**:::::**

Various birds who can fly high enough are soaring side by side and at peace with Dragons toward a beautiful floating land. Drakes that took on the appearance of half man and half dragon converge on a great dome structure, filling concert hall inside. They wear clothes fairly old-fashioned, Viking blood running in their veins. Most of these people have lived over centuries. Unlike humans, their lifeline is pretty sturdy and long. Just as long as it takes for them to age to their elderly years, is just as long as it takes for an offspring to be born.

Due to their levity, their feet never touched the ground.

A Fanfare ensues. A Drake with one leg scaly like a Dragon, the other humanoid one lost and replaced by a prosthetic, likewise with one of his hands that was suppose to be the Dragon part, steps into the center of the dome and opens the ceremony.

"Ahem... The Great Vast himself and Chief of Berk for over two centuries, Stoick!"

Stoick enters dramatically on his partner Dragon that he named Thornado to a wild cheering crowd of Drakes, Dragons, and winged-creatures alike. While the Drakes were part Dragons and they can transform into their beast forms at a whim, their Dragons were like their fated partners and it is a great honor for Drakes when a pure Dragon would choose them as their partner. Thornado's powerful wind blasts and flamethrowers was seen as a sign from Thor himself in which is why Stoick was blessed to be leader of Berk for such a time period.

"And this year's assigned choreographer for Berk's Dragon air parade, the beautiful Astrid Hofferson!"

A thick-braided blond teenage girl enters, riding a blue Nadder named Stormfly flies into the scene and takes side on Stoick's left.

"I'm really looking forward to this performance, Astrid." Stoick acknowledges Astrid.

Astrid smiles at him politely. "It's gonna be great, Chief, I made sure of it!" She guaranteed. "As long as they follow my instructions, things will go smoothly."

"Yes, yes. And with you being in charge, it gives my son a little less to worry about and focus on making a spectacular appearance!" Stoick laughed, proud. Just recently, his only son and sole regent to Berk was chosen by the Legendary Nightfury. Sadly, his son had a deformed Dragon leg, making him out to be a Crippled Drake, and because of this, he couldn't turn into a Dragon himself. But the fact that a Nightfury saw him worthy to be his partner was consolation enough.

If anything, he was a skilled rider. Even before the Nightfury, Hamish "Hiccup" Horrendous Haddock knew the Dragons well enough that he orchestrated the Parade last year despite his lack on having his own Dragon.

"He may be a nervous wreck sometimes, but it didn't take him long to become the most impressive Dragon rider,"

"Yes, Hiccup and Toothless are a rather impressive duo," Astrid agreed and flew up to get to position. "If only they'd show up for rehearsals once in a while..."

**:::::**

Astrid signals the cannons, and momentarily, light smoke fogged up the dome, the crowd went wild when finally a beefy teenage red-scaled arm and leg Drake burst out from the smokes on his Dragon Nightmare, Hookfang, leading several other Nightmares. Beside him followed a round yellow scaled Drake on an even rounder Dragon Groncle, a pack of Groncles at their flanks.

From the other side of the smoke, came out two-headed Dragons Sibblebacks with twins mounted on them. It took a lot of threatening and disciplining, but Astrid finally managed to make sure they behave. Like the previous two, Sibblebacks were right behind them. Then at the center, flocks of Nadders bursted out, followed by Astrid somersaulting and going below to mount on the sole blue Nadder.

"Nightfury debut!" She hollered just as the smoke started to fade, another blast came out.

The numbers of Dragons in the presentation dispersed, with only those with Drakes mounted on them left above the cloud of smoke, waiting for the cue to blast out fire after the Nightfury's own plasma blast that signals the appearance of Berk's regent and the only Nightfury Berk has ever seen. Stoick's chest puff out in pride and anticipation.

Only a Plasma blast never came. And when the smoke finally cleared, the place where Hiccup and the Nightfury were suppose to come out from is found empty. There was collective gasp.

Astrid grimaces, looking through her bangs up towards Stoick's general direction, seeing the Chief Drake flaring up, clutching on his Dragon's reins.

"HICCUP!"

**:::::**

Meanwhile, a scrawny freckled brunette was far from where he should be, exploring and observing a human town far from the skies from the relative safety of the woods' concealment. Actually, he wasn't an ordinary brunette.

While he looked human, he was part Dragon. One arm was entirely humanoid except for its scaly green shoulder having a Dragon wing along with it, and the other arm—his left—was of a scaly green feature. Same with his legs, only vice versa, his right leg being the slightly deformed Dragon leg. Beneath his unmistakably human clothes—albeit old fashioned: fur vest with a long sleeved shirt and matching fur boots—was a human torso dotted with green scales here and there.

There seemed to be a festivity for some noble man who wasn't present.

"Toothless, hurry up!" The boy beckoned to the carefully approaching Dragon. Good thing it was black, for better concealment under the shadows.

The scrawny teenager brought out a old sketchbook with a handmade charcoal pencil, before pointing to a man. He sat on a high stool, in front of some rectangular board thing, a stick held on his hand, its end being hairy and coated in something colorful. He was called from a distance, and left for the moment, setting unknown tools down.

"What do you think those are for?" He questioned. "you supposed Thiana might know?" The boy started sketching the objects to show and ask a bird friend later.

Toothless, the Dragon, didn't answer and kept hovering protectively behind the teenager, making said teen sigh in response.

"You're not getting cold feet now, are you?" The boy complained. "calm down bud, they can't see us from here."

_The problem with you Hiccup is you're not careful at all. _The Dragon communicated telepathically. _Remember when your father took you fishing and you ended up being hunted down by trolls?_

Hiccup sighed, flushing and scowling. "The '_being of one mind and soul_' thing of this whole Dragon partnership is not as much as of a perk as they say it is." He complained. "All right. Since you want to be careful, you stay here and I'm getting a closer look."

Toothless made a noise as his Drake crept lower. Suddenly, he sense something behind him and went to investigate, sniffing at the air and the ground. He looked up and saw the bushes rustle, hearing a snarl.

Toothless got up and rushed away, towards where his Drake went off.

"Oh, this looks like something from back home. Made of different materials, though. Wonder which..." Hiccup was busy sneaking around behind something large and circular. He didn't dare to go far into the town, but the mysterious item was near enough to the woods that he can immediately get back to hiding. He took a quick sketch of it before picking up a smaller version of it. "Hm, I wonder if they'd notice... Whoa!"

Toothless had his shirt clamped in his mouth and took off back to the woods, where they were evidently chased by a pack of hunting dogs.

_See what I mean by not being careful?_

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Hey. Who was the one who led them to chase after us?"

Toothless didn't respond to that as he took off, Hiccup struggling to mount his Dragon. And they took flight just in time out of sight before the hunters accompanying the dogs made their appearance.

**:::::**

On the peaceful part of the woods, by a meadow clearing, a small hummingbird on her nest was humming, fixing up her said nest when it heard someone calling out to her.

"Thiana! Hey!"

The hummingbird excitedly flew towards the voice, finding its owner. A familiar Drake and his partner Dragon. "Hiccup, Toothless, how are you?"

"All right. I didn't get to sketch any more than two new thing, but better than nothing." Hiccup smiled, taking out his sketch book and the mysterious item Hiccup brought along with him when Toothless carried him off from his satchel. "look at this sketch. What is it?"

"Ah. Sketching Human stuff again, huh? Well, lemme see." Thiana flew down and Hiccup opens up his sketchbook to the newer parts. Firstly came the items he saw left behind by the man. "Look at that. Oh, these things just make the loveliest things."

Hiccup beamed excitedly. "What? What is it?" he asked eagerly.

"They're a painting set!" She squealed, and she flew over the sketch, hovering over the one that looked like a stick with hair. "You love sketching, right? Just dab this little thing on some colorful juices, and you can put color to whatever you sketch." 

Hiccup looked at his drawings speculatively. "A painting set, huh? I would definitely like to try that." He looked up at Toothless.

_You're going to need a bigger hollow tree to hide it though, _Toothless shrugged. _Not mention how to make these color juices._

"I'll figure it out." Hiccup looks at the sketches again. "if all else fails, I'll dig a hole inside the current one and store smaller items there inside a box to make room."

Toothless nuzzled his nose on the pages, blowing it to the next. _What about that one? That doesn't look new._

"Oh yeah, I have the real thing with me." Hiccup showed her the item. "It's a drum, right? We have those at Berk."

"Ah— yes, a snare drum to be exact." Thiana settled on the object. "Personally, I prefer to dance on it. It has a nice beat to it too."

Hiccup blinked, "Really? These are for your kind?"

"Well, when the humans are distracted." Thiana replied, as she starts tapping her tiny feet on the drum. "me and my friends just love doing this when it's unattended. Some humans find it cute if they do catch us doing it, and some birds are trained to perform. I remember this one time, during a festival parade..."

Hiccup's eyes widened. "Parade? Oh, Bork week! Oh gods," The Drake begun stuffing his things back to his satchel. "my father's gonna kill me!"

_The air parade was today?_

Tooth pouted, if it were possible for birds to do that. "Don't you want to hear the story?"

Hiccup mounted on Toothless. "Uh, I'm sorry, Thiana. Maybe next time. I've gotta go." He waved to the bird. "Thank you Tooth. You can keep the drum!" He took off with his Dragon.

"See you Hiccup. Come anytime sweetie,"

**:::::**

Unbeknownst to the Drake and his Dragon, from the abandoned land far from Berk central town, far into the woods, mysterious dark falcons watched him fly back to Drake's civilization. Their eyes glowed, a window to the more sinister Drake who was watching Berk's regent.

"Yeeeeeees, hurry home, Hamish. We wouldn't want to miss old daddy's celebration, now, would we?" A mysterious figure scowled as he was looking through a sphere that showed what the falcons saw. "Huh! Celebration indeed. Bah! How the times have been reduced to vanity of the merry making. In the dark ages, lesser folks knew their place, knew to cower, the greater drakes utilizing the weak. And now, look at me—wasted away to practically nothing—banished and exiled and strip off the ability to become a Dragon," The man scowled, swiping a broken winged mockingbird from its cage and it cried out before being eaten whole. "while he and his flimsy Viking Drakes celebrate. Well, I'll give 'em something to celebrate soon enough." He turned to the sphere. "Nightmares! My Fearlings...!"

The falcons hit their heads together in surprise as they listened to their master's instructions.

_I want you to keep an extra close watch on this adorable little son of his. He may be the key to Stoick the Vast's undoing. . . ._

**:::::**

Meanwhile, at the Great hall, Hiccup stood in front of his father who looked at him with a disappointed scowl, Thornado settled behind him, and Astrid right beside him looking just as annoyed. Gobber was present, too, being the Chief's right hand man. But he was mostly a silent observer, as he didn't liking dabbling in conflicts not directly involving him.

Toothless hang back, worried for his Drake.

"I just don't know what we're going to do with you, Hiccup."

"Dad look, it slipped off my mind. You see, I was really on my way then—" Hiccup tried to explain himself.

"As a result of your careless behaviour—"

"Careless and reckless behaviour!" Astrid snapped.

"—the entire celebration was—"

"Well, it was all for nothing!" Astrid huffed indignantly, seemingly more frustrated than Stoick. "I had my name under this air parade. The first female Drake ever deemed worthy enough to orchestrate the air parade! Now thanks to you I am the laughing stock of Berk!"

Gobber spoke up, in an attempt to lighten up the situation. "Naw, you ain't, lass. Anyone who laughs at ya has a death wish." he assured, "they know how feisty you are."

Hiccup looked down, agreeing to that. She was better qualified to lead Berk in the future than he was. It was what was on everyone's mind, they just don't say it out loud out of fear of incurring Stoick's wrath.

"Still," Astrid sighed, having to admit there was some level of truth to that. "It's the principle. You know what I mean." she said.

_But it wasn't his fault! _Toothless steps in, feeling defensive for his rider as he shared how Hiccup was feeling throughout all this. Stoick and Astrid waited for the explanation. Dragons were given equal due respect just as much as Drake citizens. _First off, Hiccup's not treated equally by his other Drake peers, even Astrid can concede to that!_

Stoick gave Astrid a questioning look. She shrugged. "I can't control Snotlout and the twins any more than their parents can,"

Hiccup coughed. "Toothless, it's okay..."

_So you can't blame him if he wants to take off every now and then, do his own thing and ask some questions to a hummingbird..._

Stoick's eyes shot open. "Hummingbird? What? They can only reach four thousand meters off sea level, not enough to reach this point, unless..." He scowled in realization.

Toothless ceased his speech. Hiccup threw him a pointed look.

"Oh—you went down to Midgard again, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?" Stoick moved forward to his son.

Hiccup winced, forcing out a crooked consoling smile. "Nothing... happened." _Except we were almost caught by hunters... _But the brunette didn't say that.

Stoick groaned, Astrid face-palmed. "Oh, son, how many times do I have to tell ya? Stay where you're told to stay, maybe then you wouldn't have missed the celebration! On top of that, you know the risks; You could've been seen by one of those monsters, by one of those vile mortals!"

Hiccup frowned, puffing out his chest in disagreement. "Dad, they're people like us! They're not barbarians! And they own similar items like we do, but some more advanced than ours. If we try to reach out to them, maybe they'd show us..."

"They're dangerous!" Stoick forestalled. "Their kind killed your own mother!" Stoick roared. Astrid stiffened, moving back as it was getting personal. Stoick placed a hand on his son's head. "Do you think I want to see my only son, Berk's sole regent, speared by some monster for a mere meal?!"

Hiccup groaned, moving back from Stoick. "I may be scrawny, but I'm also sixteen years old—I'm not a child anymore, you don't have to keep babying me!"

"Now you listen to me, Hamish. As long as you live above, amidst these skies and clouds, you'll obey my rules!"

Hiccup tried speaking over the volume of Stoick loud, thunderous voice. "But if you would just listen, for once in your—"

"Not another word—" Stoick forestalled "and I am never, NEVER to hear of you going down to Midgard again. Is that clear?"

Hiccup groaned, and he'd stomp his foot if he could only touch the ground, before he takes off, Toothless right behind him.

"Hmp! That lad..." Stoick huffed.

Gobber shook his head himself, pointing his prosthetic hand towards Astrid. "Ya kids these days, ya give 'em an speckle of freedom, they abuse it." he said.

Astrid said nothing, even if she was a '_kid these days_' herself.

Stoick sighed, rubbing his face. "Still, if what Toothless said was true... Do you," He looked at both blonds, slightly chagrined but still trying to remain dignified. "er, think I was too hard on him?"

"I think not, sir."

Gobber agreed. "He's gonna be a man and Berk's chief someday, he needs to toughen up. And your right about him needing to be kept under control."

"Yes. He's too imaginative," Astrid backed him up, "he needs to learn how to stay focused and not always go wandering about whenever."

Stoick rubbed his chin, and then beamed. "You're absolutely right, Astrid. Hiccup needs constant supervision."

Astrid nodded.

"Someone to watch over him—to keep him out of trouble and away from humans."

Another nod. And a hard pat to the back. Astrid grunted.

"And YOU are just the Drake to do it." Stoick beamed, hoping something romantic can develop between the two.

Astrid blinks, eyes going wide. "Me?"

**:::::**

Astrid flew out of the great hall, groaning.

"How do I get myself into these situations? I should be training and working on sharpening my axe, perfecting my form and combat styles. Not tagging along after some wandering minded guy."

She ranted on her way back to her cottage, then sees Hiccup and Toothless sneaking off the edge of the sanctuary once more.

Astrid made face and follows. "Looks like my job starts now. What is he up to this time?"


	2. Desires and Wishes

Hiccup sighed as Toothless nuzzled his dragon-winged shoulder, trying to comfort him. They were settled on a high leveled ground over looking a cove with a lake. The levitating freckled drake looked down to his sketches of foreign objects and devices. They were sort of inside a huge hollow tree, some old sketches of Hiccup's pin in its interior. It was his secret hideout. It was farther off Berk's Sanctuary's main land, a bit ways off from the legal bounds of Berk's woods. And the lowest floating land in all Berk.

_Hiccup, are you okay?_

"If only I could somehow make him listen to me for once... Why can't he see things the way I do, even for just a moment?" Hiccup said softly, turning the pages of his book. "I mean, imagine what they can teach us."

_Sure, _Toothless made a sound in his throat, agreeing. _I'm still wondering about those colorful juices. I wonder if they taste like fish._

Hiccup smiled at his dragon, stroking him behind the ears. "I knew you'd understand, I mean, come on right?" He brought the sketches for Toothless to look at, as if the dragon haven't already seen them many times. "They don't look like deadly weapons, do they?"

There was this one sketch he had, some sort of manual vehicle with only two wheels and some kind of circulation device Tooth called peddles to make it move, except it only carries one person.

Not as convenient as a dragon, but it looks fun.

And there were these things that they attached to trees with long ropes, and kids ride it while adults would push it back and forth, as high as they can, and the kids always looked like they were enjoy it.

Hiccup could always go up and down anytime he wanted, so he always wondered why they found it exciting and why they needed a device to help them with it.

And there were those other things that seemed minor and pretty common to them but a mystery and fascination to him: running and rolling down hill of a pasture, being able to stay in the water and move around it, having to pull your own weight to get up on a tree for food or just the fun of it, instead of eating food on tables they're able to have them while sitting on the ground with some kind of cloth beneath them and some other things.

"Don't they look awesome?"

Toothless roared and dipped his head. _Anything you make is._

"It seems as if I have the complete archive of their world, huh? As if I had everything," Hiccup ran his fingers through the sketches fondly. "All these sketches, a book can only contain so much. Gadgets, inventions, and... and... all these other doodads and watchamacallits." The brunette went on, forgetting most of the other things he collected in the past and what Thiana called them. He smiled a bit, then but it easily faltered, his eyes wandering over his latest sketch of the painting set. "Big deal though... It's still not everything and the thing I want most."

_Which is... _Toothless cocked his head, asking a question. ..._What?_

Hiccup looked at his companion. "Oh, you know, nothing much... Just..." He shrugged indifferently. "I wanna try to be where they are. What must it be like, to be a mortal."

The Drake looked down, farther down that leads to earth, his hand reaching to touch the Berk's ground only he can't since something was pulling him back, as always. Levity.

Toothless made a look, not quite understanding what was so wonderful about not being able to fly. It was better at their safe haven above the skies at their floating sanctuary.

_It can't be any different than it is being a drake, can it?__ I mean, physical structure speaking, they're not that different. But you guys are better, because you can fly. _Hiccup threw him a look, _...with my help. _The dragon amends.

"Well, maybe it's great to actually be part of a world that won't judge you for being unable to do what the rest can. Maybe I'd like to feel the ground on my feet and letting it stay there," The brunette pouted. "Do those stuff, their type of dancing and—what's that other thing?" He looked up in thought. "Oh yeah, walking. Down those things they call streets, I'm sick of just gliding and floating about to places that don't stay put. Every year, you can never find the same isle on the same place. It's frustrating. They can only get you so far. I've always wanted to try what they do when they're in the water. Swimming? Yeah, that. But I can't, because being a Drake stops me from making any contact on the ground, or nuances."

Toothless just listened at the boy's rants. Hiccup knew the Nightfury couldn't always understand him, but the drake could be himself around him.

"I just want to slow down, and stay down for once, not being ridiculed for not being able to fly." Hiccup sighed dejectedly. "Just to go wander anywhere, explore both the highs and lows of the world." He looked at his sketches of their hills, mountains, valleys and such, "what I wouldn't give to be able to live there for one day away from the skies, or finally feel my feet on the ground all day long. And I bet they're more understanding, and don't get scolded by their father's for laying low."

Toothless shrugged, just letting the boy vent. This were the only times he had the chance to do that without anyone around to judge him spitefully.

Hiccup was just rambling now. "And think of all the things they know! Oh, I just have too many questions, and I'm sure they have answers!" His eyes shone brightly. "Like what is gravity, and how does it keep them all down there?!" He looks at the cove in front of him, and straightened up.

Toothless looked up at him, wishing his Drake would feel this happy regularly. That's why he enjoyed these take offs—or take downs, in this case. His Drake didn't feel like he belonged at Berk, because he felt different due to his deformed leg and he couldn't fly by himself, couldn't turn into a Dragon. With the human world being different, the young Drake felt like he could belong there.

Hiccup crept over to the edge. Imagining what it was like to actually live there. "_When's it my turn? Wouldn't I love, t__o explore the land far from the azure above~_" He sighed, a dreamy expression on his face. "_Away from these skies, for once in my life... __I'd be Part of a World." _Hiccup stared ahead, day dreaming, when something conked him on the back of his head.

Toothless raised his head at the disturbance.

"OUCH!" Hiccup whipped his head, looking around, and the colors drained from his face. "ASTRID!" He gasped.

Astrid glared at him steadily as she snatched up Hiccup's leather sketch book and knelt to the stump that is an alternative for a desk.

"W-wait!"

Astrid was already looking through the pages. "Hiccup, are you mad? How could you—what is all this?" She hissed.

"They, err, they're just my human... archives..." Hiccup rubbed the back of his head.

Astrid narrowed her eyes, waving the book around carelessly. "Oh. I see. Your archives, okay...." She tossed it. Hiccup yelped, reaching it before it could go over the edge as Astrid was on edge herself. "IF YOUR FATHER KNEW ABOUT THIS SKETCHES HE'D—"

Toothless snarled at her, getting to her chest. _You better not tell him!_

"Oh, please, Astrid!" Hiccup begged despairingly. "he would never understand."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "You are such a sad excuse for a Drake, Hiccup." She pushed Toothless away from her. "how you got the rarest dragon to be your partner is beyond me. Anyway, c'mon, you're lacking too much pressure down here." He grabbed his ear, and Hiccup winces as she pulls him to the air a bit. "Come with me, I'll take you home and get you something warm to drink."

Hiccup broke free from Astrid, mostly because she let him cause otherwise, he wouldn't be able to. He sighed. keeping his sketch book in his satchel. Toothless went to his side and he held on to him so he could be able to go up. Suddenly, something slow and dark went by a bit of a ways off to the distance.

"Huh, now what could that be...?" Hiccup muttered, stopping in his flight path, letting go of Toothless, and floated through some higher ground to get to it. Toothless didn't seem to notice.

Astrid was just about ready to turn to a Dragon and fly back up to Berk Sanctuary when she finally realizes Hiccup wasn't right behind her, or hanging on to Toothless a little too late. "Hiccup? Hiccup!"

**:::::**

Below, Hiccup glided above the trees to avoid immediate detection. Up ahead, he saw strange flare of colors lighting the skies near the strange vehicle, fiery blasts exploding when they were far enough. Hiccup looks on, amazed.

Astrid and Toothless finally catches up.

"Hiccup, what are you getting at now—Oh no!" Astrid gasped at what laid before her, but Hiccup kept gliding on. "Hiccup, Hiccup! Get back here!" She cried out, not wanting to get nearer. Not that she was scared, but she wasn't one who went against rules.

Hiccup reaches a high mountain that was near the vehicle and he leaped to be able to reach the moving vehicle, and just he time he grabbed to hang on the ropes. He realizes it was an airship, a human transportation that flies but can never go high enough because of the pressure so it never reaches the Berk sanctuary. Hiccup watches the mortals, the humans, he admired, dancing around in merriment when something finds him.

A dog, or a greyhound to be exact. Tooth told him about it a ways back. He stiffened as the dog sniffed him up, then jumped on his torso, trying to lick his face. Hiccup yelped, and fell back, floating mid air even as the dog was on top of him, one hand gripping the ropes.

_It's even more slobbery than Toothless! _Hiccup cringed. _Well, at least it wasn't threatening..._

Then, he heard a shrill sound but couldn't see where it came from. "Abby, here girl. Where are you?" A voice followed. The dog finally got off Hiccup, who was wiping his face with his hand and peeked over once again. "Hey, come on, mutt," Hands were running through the dog's fur fondly. "Who's a good girl, huh Abby? Okay, okay. You're the good girl."

Hiccup gasped, seeing a tall boy with brown hair like his and brown eyes, but better looking, and is stricken.

"Hey there, sweetie!" A high-pitch voice came to Hiccup. "Quite a show, eh?"

Hiccup yelped, facing the colorful hummingbird. "Thiana, be quiet! They'll hear you." He scolded, grabbing the bird and pulling it out of immediate sight.

"Ohhh, okay, okay." She giggled and hid behind the drake, perching on his shoulder when said Drake release her. "We're lying low."

Hiccup looks on, his eyes lingering on the beautiful boy. "I've never seen a human this close before." A goofy smiled formed on his face and rested on his arms folded together. "Oh—he's very handsome, isn't he?"

_Those brown locks and eyes looks so much less like ground dirt and more like chocolate, that smile that reaches some place higher than the skies when he laughs, and that voice more beautiful than the passing wind..._

Thiana's gaze followed the general direction to where Hiccup was staring, but eyes falls on Abby. "Uhm, I'd say cute... I didn't know you were into dogs. They have good teeth, but not the best breath..."

"Not that one—" Hiccup rolled his eyes and pointed to the brunette. "the taller one..."

"Ohhh, I see... Why, someone has a crush~!"

Hiccup shrugged carelessly,_ She's probably right..._

**:::::**

The boy Hiccup was staring at continued to play with the dog, just fooling around with her, having her chased him about, when suddenly, a large man called for attention and a tall grouchy looking man with a ponytail grabbed the unsuspecting brunette by the collar of his shirt and pulling him to stand by him, practically making him choke.

The large man faced the boy in concern. "Jack, you all right?"

The pony-tailed man simply crossed his arms. The brunette made a look towards the one who grabbed him, adjusting his collar and then fixing his blue vest.

"Sure," He said pointedly. "I love it when Aster gets rough with me when I don't listen to him the first few times."

"Ah, good." The large man grinned, then directed the crowd. "Silence! Silence!" The man bellowed. "It is now my honor and privilege to present young master Jackson with very special, very expensive, very large birthday present."

A large object rectangular in shape hidden with a large cloth was brought out by two crew pilots.

Jack laughed, and Hiccup found the sound beautiful. "Jeez, Nicholas," He gave the man a pat on the back. "you shouldn't have."

"I know. Townspeople helped." The big man held the cloth. "Happy birthday, Jack!" He pulled on the cloth.

A large, bright and gaudy painting of Jack is revealed. Although the colors were bright, the young man in the painting himself wore an expression of regal sternness.

Everyone present cheered.

But Abby growls, sneering at the portrait that didn't look anything like her cheerful and outgoing owner while Jack grimaces, wondering if he looked anything like that all. He wasn't normally a vain person, at least when it come to his looks, but he'll have to concede that the original was really better than any imitation. And his damn ears! They're too big!

Still, he had to offer his gratitude, as to not hurt his _god-father and actual standing father figure's _feelings.

Jack coughed to clear his throat. "Gee, North." He used the nickname he had for the man. "It's, err, it's, err—it's really... Wow. I don't have words..." He managed to say, giving the painting a once over.

"Ah, yes, quite nice. Of course, I had hoped it would be wedding present, but..."

Jack groaned, rolling his eyes. "Come on, North, don't start. Look, you're not still sore because I didn't fall for Princess Elsa of Arendelle, are you?" He frowned. _That girl didn't know what fun was even if it came flying to her face!_

The crew went back to their business.

"Oh, Jack, it isn't me alone." North sighed. "The entire town wants to see you happily settled down with right girl."

Jack shrugged, going over to the shrouds. "Hey, who knows, it could be a guy who'll win me over. You have no problem with that, right?" He looked at the large man, going over to the shrouds.

Hiccup stiffened, pressing his back against the exterior of the airship to prevent detection.

"No, no problem at all." North assured. "So long as you are happy, but it's taking long time to choose, no?"

Jack shrugged carelessly and sat on the edge. "Well, whoever it is should be out there somewhere. I just— I just haven't found _whoever _yet." He swung his legs down, almost hitting Hiccup.

North rolled his eyes. "Well, perhaps you haven't been looking hard enough." He said pointedly.

"Believe me, North, when I find the one, I'll know—without a doubt." Jack stood up on the edge, not fearing the possibility of falling over. "It'll just-bam!-hit me... like lightning."

As soon as he said that, Jack flinches as lightning and thunder appear and the sky grows dark.

"Hurricane a'commin'! Stand fast! Secure the riggin'!" A crewpilot hollers. And in no time, a raging storm hits.

Jack moved away from the shrouds and rushes to help the Crew Pilots in securing the airship.

**:::::**

"Ngh..." Hiccup tries holding on to the ropes of the airship as to not be carried away.

Thiana winces. "Whoa! Where did this come from, the weather seemed fine this morning!" She then gets blown away from Hiccup's shoulder. She screams. "Oh! Hiccup!"

"AHH!" At that same moment, Hiccup loses his grip, and starts going down when his back hits something scaly. "TOOTHLESS! Am I ever glad to see you!" He sighed, then he heard a loud sound and looks back at the airship.

And lightening struck the ship, causing a fire to start.

"Look out!"

"JUMP!"

Everyone climbed out of the ship and starts free falling, before releasing their gliders. Jack geared Abby up and carries her. "Ready girl?" He gets one leg over the edge but his other one slips and gets stuck on broken wood, and Abby is released from his arms.

Luckily, North was nearby, sees the horror and glides to catch the dog, but his eyes lingered on the ship over head.

"JACK!"

Jack struggled, pulling on his leg desperately, looking around. His eyes widened as the fire reached the engine and the ship just exploded. Jack barely managed to cover his head to prepare for the blast when the next thing he sees is darkness.

Dodging the falling debris, Hiccup frantically searches for the falling body of Jack. Gasping, he sees the brunette just a few ways off and veers Toothless towards him. Diving down, he swooped below the human, holding his arms up as he caught the boy. The storm continued raging wildly around them, Hiccup could barely hang on to both Toothless and Jack.

But somehow, he managed, not daring to let go.

**:::::**

Astrid was looking for Hiccup frantically since the storm started. She kept looking to the skies, even though she knew that nothing was there anymore, that she didn't look to where she was going.

"HICCU—Ah!" Astrid yelped as she fell back after coming contact into something. She never met the ground, however, this time for a different reason.

A hand had caught hers.

She blinked up, her eyes adjusting to the darkness and she nearly screamed. Staring back at her was a boy with brown eyes and hair.

The boy seemed just as surprised.

"Are you... floating?"

Suddenly, a voice followed. "Oy, Jamie, lad! Have ya found Jack there?"

That was her call to get out of there.

**:::::**

Hiccup manages to get Toothless into a low cave to take cover, letting the storm past as he looked through the unconscious boy's condition when Thiana came by, apparently also taking cover at the same cave.

Hiccup looks at her worriedly. "Is he—dead?" He bits his lip.

"Uhm, well," The bird opens Jack's eyes and got no response out of it. "It's hard to say, Hiccup..." She flies over the human's hair and pressed her ear against his chest. But given that there was a storm raging... "Oh, I—I can't make out a heartbeat."

Hiccup pouted, his shoulder slacking when he notices Jack's chest heaving. "No, look!" He grinned. "He's breathing..."

Quickly, Hiccup moves back and takes hi sketch book from his satchel and started sketching Jack's face. His hand smoothly and swiftly getting the every detail down, Toothless hovering to protect the pages from getting wet from the rain outside and Hiccup mumbled a short _thank you._

"He's so...so..." The Drake let his eyes linger on the human's face for a moment. "... handsome." He continued the sketch, reaching the mouth part. Even though he wasn't doing it, Hiccup drew a smile on it, like the one he remembered from earlier. "_What would I give t__o live where you are? __What would I pay t__o stay here beside you?_" The drake finished the sketch and reached over to simply stroke the human's face fondly and adoringly. "_What would I do to see you, smiling at me?_"

Someone joins them in a cave frantically, seemingly trying to escape something, before she realize who were occupying the cave, and the blond was stuck dumb at what she saw, mouth hanging open as a colorful bird that was Thiana flew by her side, rubbing against her cheek in glee.

_"Where would we walk? __Where would we run? __If we could stay all day in the sun?" _Practically hovering above the human, the Drake touched the human's lips, who slowly begun to stir, but the Drake didn't notice as he kept caressing the face. "_Just you and me, an__d I could be..._" The Human brunette slowly formed a smile, loving the feel of those soft and warm hands, reaching out to take it. Once again, the Drake was too captivated by the beauty of the human's face to notice anything. "_Part of your world~"_

Suddenly, there were barking sounds and a cry from a familiar large man's voice.

"Here, I saw her go by here! She might've seen Jack, c'mon Aster!"

"Hold your horses, North! Crikey, how are you faster than me with your weight?"

Astrid begun tugging on Hiccup, effectively pulling him away from the human as something ripped and fell from the sketch book, and straight into hiding.

**:::::**

Jack blinked his eyes, his hand grasping nothing, longing and searching for the warm, comforting hand that he was holding a minute ago. He slowly sat up, finding North and Aster by the mouth of the cave.

How he got there, even for a landing, was a mystery.

"Jack! Oh, Jack!" North gathered him into a bear hug, and Jack softly grunted, still dazed. "You really like remaining in the naughty list, no? You gave me heart attack!"

Aster smirked, shaking his head. "With all the fruit cake you eat, I'm surprise you haven't gotten a heart burn yet, mate."

"Ohh," Jack held his head and tried to regain his senses before remembering something important. "A guy... rescued me," He said tenderly, walking out the cave unsteadily which made even Aster concerned enough to watch over him. "his hands, when they touched me, just... they felt.... wow..." He breathed before his eyes rolled back, and he started falling back.

Aster caught him quickly. "Crikey, mate, you may have survived, but I think you've hit your head too hard. Off we go." He supported Jack's weight and walked off. "Come on, North," He called out, but Abby kept barking at some bushes and trees just a few cliffs over "And take the Dingo with you, Jack wouldn't wanna lose her."

"Aw Aster, you do care for boy."

"Ah rack off, you blowhard."

**:::::**

Astrid was practically pacing on air, trying to calm herself from what just happened for almost being caught by humans.

"Okay, okay, okay!" She breathed. "We just gotta forget this whole thing ever happened. Stoick will never have to know." She whirled, facing Toothless and Thiana. "You won't tell him, I won't tell him. We'll all hold our peace."

Hiccup wasn't listening to the plan, however. Watching as the humans walk away, down the mountain, taking the beautiful brunette with them. He pressed a hand to his chest, "_I__ can't explain when, don't know where to start__,_" he sighed, "_But something's stirring in my heart,__ and it's telling me, that so__me day I'll be... Part of his world~_"

Astrid narrowed her eyes, vein popping, wishing she could actually beat her best friend up without having to worry about killing him.

"Why do I have the feeling that it's gonna be tougher than ever to keep him in line?"


	3. Broken

It took a while, but Astrid finally gave up getting Hiccup to snap out of his daydream state and simply dragged him on to Toothless before turning to a Dragon herself and they took off, with Astrid making sure Hiccup doesn't tip off. Unbeknownst to the group, they were being watched. Or more precisely, the green-scaled brunette Drake was. By the mysterious falcons. There eyes glowing to reveal the one behind the scenes.

Pitchner was trying to contain his manic laughter.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. I can't stand it—it's too easy." Pitchner pulled himself together and looked back to the sphere. "The boy is in love with a human. And not just _any_ human—a boy, a noble heir!" He smirked to himself, rising from what he would call a throne. Unlike most drake's, due to his lost wing, it's a strain for him to remain in levity. "Oh, I wonder how his _oh-so-vast _father will take it. Stoick's headstrong, lovesick lad may be just what I need to rise to power." He cackled, getting back and moving over to his cauldron. Just outside his hideout, a bed of black roses sat, seemingly cowering as Pitchner started planning his diabolical scheme.

**:::::**

The next morning, in Berk Dragon School, Drakes were getting ready for their training, saddling up their Dragons for test flights. They go as a class, so they were still waiting for Hiccup to come from of the dug out.

"Jeez," The red-scaled brunette beefy Drake from the parade grumble, leaning on his Dragon, arms crossed. "How long does it take to choose a saddle?"

Gobber bonked his head. "If you take yer time to read, you'd know each Dragons have their specifications and preferences, Snotlout." he said pointedly. "but you're right about him taking his time."

"Oh, oh! Speaking of Dragons specifications..." The yellow-scaled dirty blond Drake begun sprouting Dragon facts. Twin Drakes were snickering among themselves and the boy twin gagged yellow-scaled Drake's mouth with a cudgel.

"No one care's Fishlegs."

Astrid pulled the cudgel out. "Ruff, Tuff, knock it off."

"Well, ye all should care. So, while we're waiting, time fer sum refreshin' aye?" Gobber picked up a fish. "Okay, now if yer Dragon is misbehaving and trying to chew on sumthing that ain't there's, what do you do?"

Astrid answered that, picking up another fish and throwing it to her Nadder's mouth. Stormfly had it against her teeth, and the blond Drake reached for her chin and stroked it gently. Liking the feel of it, the Nadder stuck her tongue out and dropped the fish.

"Very good, Astrid. But really, I'd expect no less."

Snotlout snorted. "Big deal," he grabbed his own fish. "If I wanted Hookfang to do something I want," He threw it to his Nightmare. "I'd just get on his face." He turned to his Dragon and gave him a stern face. "DROP THAT THING RIGHT NOW!"

The Nightmare dropped the fish, roared, and grabbed Snotlout with his jaw.

"See? He dropped it..." Came out Snotlout's muffled response.

"Shouldn't we help him?" The female twin Drake asked.

Astrid crossed her arms. "Yeah, in a minute."

Finally, Hiccup came out already on Toothless, but he still looked out of it. All who were present, minus Snotlout who was still in his Dragon's jaw, looked at him weird as the boy hummed to himself.

"Okaaay, did someone have an overdose of Yak milk?" Tuffnet raised a brow.

Astrid face-palmed. "I wish that were it," she murmured. The blond, blue-scaled Drake glided over to Hiccup. "don't act so weird... Well, weirder than you usually are. The others are gonna catch on."

Hiccup just sighed, thinking the faster school was out, the faster he could see that human again.

"So what's the drill for today, Hic—?" Gobber trailed off as the green-scaled brunette launched out of the arena and took to the skies. "—cup?" he blinked.

"WOO-HOO!" Hiccup screamed his lungs out.

Astrid groaned and got on her Nadder to go after the boy as Stoick was entering the arena to check on the going-abouts. He was there to hear the scream.

"What in Odin...?"

"Oh, he's got it bad."

Stoick turned to the others still present. "What? What's he got?"

"Isn't it obvious, Stoick? Why, at this age, ye were in love with his Valka. And with Astrid goin' after him..."

Stoick smirked. "Young love, eh?"

**:::::**

Astrid finally caught up to Hiccup but that was only because he was no longer flying on Toothless, and just leaning on a rock. It would be hard if he was still flying on Toothless, it was next to impossible to catch up with a Nightfury. Now, the Nightfury was no where to be found.

She dismounted her Nadder and went towards Hiccup. "Okay, look. So far, so good. I don't think your dad knows. But it won't be easy keeping something like this a secret for long if you don't help it along..."

Hiccup lazily doodling at a few blank papers, trying to remake the human by memory. "Oh the gods hate me. Why did I have to lose that first sketch?" he scribbled on the sketch furiously. "His nose is not this pointy... Or is it? Are his eyes this far apart...? Are his bangs over or above his eyes? Oh, why can't I get the smile right like the way I did it before? Why am I even trying to recreate the image of an impossibly handsome being?"

"Hiccup, are you even listening to me?"

Hiccup's head snapped his head up. "I gotta see him again—tonight! I need to get another good look at him." He nodded, giving Astrid a look as he moved from the rock. "Thiana should know where he lives."

"Hiccup, please." Astrid groaned in exasperation. "stop all this craziness, and try to think about how ridiculous you're being."

Of course, Hiccup ignored her.

"Toothless'll fly us to his home. Then he can plasma blast the sky to get his attention, and then with—"

Astrid finally got to Hiccup's face. "Up HERE is your home!" She reminded firmly. Hiccup doubled back, and was going to argue when she forestalled him. "Hiccup, listen to me. Midgard—it's a mess. We've been told to keep our distance since the first Viking Drakes of Berk sanctuary, I'm not about to let you jeopardize our kind's safety for some mere mortal."

"He's not just a MERE mortal," Hiccup huffed. "he's the best-looking human I've ever seen in the last 300 years!"

Astrid face-palm, dragging said palm downwards across her face. "It doesn't matter how good looking you think he is. He's a human, never mind a guy. You're the regent of Berk."

"Last I check, it's not a requirement that a male Drake mates with a female Drake to get an offspring. I mean, we adapt very well over the centuries, and there was that one Era that female population was on the down low..." Hiccup pointed out as Astrid punched him at the shoulder. Hard. "OW! Why would you do tha—?!"

Astrid glared. "You're missing the point! He's not our kind, try to think about which side you're on!" She glowered.

Hiccup's had it with this.

"And which side am I, really?" He retorted. "Where do I belong? Sure, I'm Berk's regent, the great Stoick the Vast's sole heir... BUT NO ONE PAID ATTENTION TO ME TILL I GOT TOOTHLESS! And it's the dragon they marvel at, not me." Hiccup clenched his fists.

Astrid blinked, surprised at the turn of conversation. "Hiccup, I—"

"You got it easy, you fit in no problem... You're the famous, capable, headstrong Astrid Hofferson. People expect great things from you, as for me they don't expect a thing, they're only hoping I don't screw up as much... My own father didn't even smile at me till the Nightfury saw me partner-worthy..." Hiccup sighed, unclenching his fist. "Is it really a wonder that I'm interested these mortals? With the common Drake repulsed by humans, it seemed like I'd fit in better with them."

Astrid didn't know what to say to that. She herself never bullied Hiccup or pushed him around. But it wasn't like she held him up in any regards either. Merely silent acknowledgement and consideration that he was going to be a chief someday, however hard it was to see now.

And when he was pushed around, it wasn't like she stood up for him either or questioned whether the boy deserved it or not.

"Maybe—"

That's when Toothless decided to fly in, nuzzling Hiccup's back excitedly. _I've got to show you something! Hurry, hurry!_

"Woah there, bud. Take it easy," Hiccup held Toothless so the dragon would stop nosing him. "what are you so excited about?"

_It's a surprise, come on already! _Toothless ducked under between the Drake's legs, forcing the boy to mounting on him, before taking off.

"Woah!"

Astrid gasped, attempting to go after them."Toothless, Hiccup!" she groaned as she lost sight of them. She should've known better than to go after a Nightfury, considering its renown speed. "Oh, somebody's got to nail those wings to the floor."

"Astrid!" Astrid looked up to find Gobber. "Astrid, I've been looking all over for you. I've got a message from Stoick."

"The Chief?"

"He wants to see you right away-something about Hiccup."

Astrid widened her eyes, the first thing in her mind being, _He knows!_

**:::::**

"Let's see, now... How many grand kids would be enough to handle during retirement?"

Stoick chuckled as he paced the Great Hall. He didn't expect a development to come so fast. But he was happy nonetheless, maybe a relationship can motivate his son to stop going down the Earth and start being the Drake he ought to be. And Astrid was an impressive choice. He was still wondering how his son got her attention at all, but he supposed he shouldn't be looking at a gift horse in the mouth. Stoick turned and found Astrid peeking from the door. He cleared his throat.

"Come in, Astrid."

Astrid tried to take calming breaths. "Okay, Astrid. You mustn't overreact. You must remain calm." she floated over, levitating in front of Stoick. "yes, Chief?"

"Astrid, see, I'm wondering about Hiccup." Stoick started. "Have you noticed he's been acting peculiar lately?"

Astrid tried not to look nervous. "Peculiar?" she asked. "how... uhm... is it different from the other times?" she was deliberately ignoring eye contact.

"Astrid..." Stoick beckoned. She was forced to look up to the man. "Now, I want you to feel like you don't need to be keeping things from me. I'm your chief, maybe something more in the future. So, you can trust me."

Astrid vaguely swallowed hard. "Keeping... something?" she repeated, because what else could she do?

"About Hiccup?"

"Oh, uh, Hiccup?"

Stoick smirked. "In love? There isn't an issue about this that I should know about, is there?" he knew he could be scary sometimes, but really, if an approval is all they need to come out...

Astrid was at her breaking point. "I tried to stop him, sir. He wouldn't listen!" Stoick blinked, definitely not expecting that reaction. "I told him to stay away from humans-they're bad, they're trouble, they—"

Stoick's eyes went wide and stern.

"Humans? WHAT ABOUT HUMANS?!"

Astrid bit her tongue.

**:::::**

At the lower lands of Berk, Toothless was flying his Drake to his hideout hallow. Hiccup was a bit because Toothless wouldn't give him a hint or clue to what it was he wanted to show him.

"Toothless, why can't you just tell me what this is all about?"

_I told you, It's a surprise._

They finally made it into the tree, and Hiccup gasped, seeing the portrait of Jack, the human he fell for-figuratively.

The Drake got off his Dragon and glided over. "Oh, Toothless—Bud, you're the best!" He embraced the approaching Dragon, who seemed proud of himself.

Hiccup went back to the portrait.

"It looks just like him. It even has his smile." The Drake couldn't help but giggle. "I was right, no way could I be able to recreate his beauty. This is absolutely awesome Toothless! Thank you so much, bud!" Hiccup cheered, hugging the portrait to his chest.

Toothless puffed his chest out, pleased with himself. Then, his ears twitched. He snarled, looking behind him when his intimidation scheme fell to shock.

"Toothless, what's wr—" Hiccup started, turning around, when he sees Stoick. "Dad!" His green eyes went wide in horror.

Stoick glared at his son, Astrid wincing behind him with Thornado nearby. "I consider myself a reasonable Drake," he started in monotone, approaching his son, who was moving behind Toothless, portrait in hand. "I set certain rules, and I expect those rules to be obeyed."

"But Dad—"

"Is it true," Stoick forestalled. "you rescued a human?"

Hiccup tried to explain himself, "Dad, I had to."

"Contact between Midgard and the Drake-world is strictly forbidden!" Stoick bellowed. "Hiccup, you know that! Everyone knows that!"

Hiccup argued. "He would have died!"

"One less mortal to worry about!" Stoick dismisses the argument easily.

Hiccup clenched his fists once more. "Just because our lifespan is longer doesn't make their lives any less than ours!"

"Did their ancestors think that when they hunted our kind at the Dark age?" Stoick spat back. "If he finds out of our existence, then history will repeat itself!"

Hiccup shook his head, "You don't know that!" He protested, "You don't know him, he might not wage war against us."

"Know him?" Stoick seemed incredelous. "I don't have to know him. They're all the same! Monsters, Hunters, murderers! Killers! Your own mother—"

"Dad, don't call him that!" Hiccup blurted to his own horror, "He is not a monster!"

Stoick growled, perplexed with his son's actions. His son was always unreasonable, but even he never really shouted back at him that way. To think, he thought things were going well, based on Gobber's words. To think that the development between him and Astrid was actually about.... Then, the chief widened his eyes, as it dawned on him.

"No, don't tell me... Have you fallen in love with him?"

Hiccup widened his eyes, his stunned silence was very telling. Even Astrid was nervous for him now. Toothless hovered protectively.

"No..." Stoick's own eyes were wide in horror, disbelief coloring his tone. "Have you lost your senses completely? He's a mortal, you're a Drake!"

Hiccup hugged the portrait close to him, not looking at his father. "It doesn't matter to me..." he said boldly.

"So help me Hiccup," Stoick huffed, infuriated as he beckoned Thornado. "I am going to get through to you. And if this is the only way," he looked at all the sketches pinned on the hallow tree's interior. Hiccup followed the direction of his eyes and his heart jumped. "so be it." he gave the signal. On instinct, Toothless flew Hiccup out.

"No!"

Thornado roared, knocking the tree down. He stomps on it madly, before blasting an aerial attack. Some surviving sketches flew out of the hallow tree. Stoick transformed to a dragon and started blasting the sketches himself.

"Dad! No,no, please—Dad, stop!" Hiccup pleaded desperately, helplessly watching all his sketches turn to ashes. Toothless and Astrid held him back, not wanting him to be within the crossfire.

Suddenly, the group felt the aerial attack on them, or at least directed to Hiccup as the portrait of Jack was blown away from him and directly above Stoick as he exhaled deeply, gathering enough gas.

Hiccup widened his eyes, breaking free and trying to make it to the portrait. "Dad... Please... NOOOO!"

Stoick blasts the portrait. Hiccup stops mid-glide, horrified as the ashen-remains of the portrait rains in front of him, watching them disappear as Stoick reverts to his Drake form. Hiccup fell back to where his tree used to be, and begins sobbing at what used to be his sketching stump. Stoick turned from his son, and he leaves, with a slight look of remorse.

_It had to be done..._


	4. The Gravity of the Situation

Remorseful, Astrid approached the weeping Drake slowly, Toothless tailing behind her closely, unsure whether to comfort his rider or just let him be. Because in some situations, nothing could come as comfort. 

"Hiccup, I... I..."

Still crying, Hiccup didn't even glance at the girl. "Just... Just leave me alone." came his muffled response.

Astrid sighed, regretful. She knew she had to prioritize her kind and follow Berk's rules. But the female Drake never wanted to hurt the young Regent in any manner or form. Reluctantly, she left along with Toothless. They knew Hiccup wanted nothing more than solitude.

Hiccup continued crying at his stump, when he felt a mysterious prescence as the clouds covered the sun.

"Poor child. Poor, sweet child."

Hiccup stopped his sobbing a bit, lifting his head up slowly. He turned around, to find black falcons circling him. Speaking to him.

"He has a very serious problem... If only there were something we could do."

"But there is something."

"Who in Odin—" Hiccup stiffened as a wing of one of the falcons brushed against him. "—are you two?" he moved a bit as if in recoil.

"Don't be scared."

"We represent someone who can help you. Someone who could make all your dreams come true."

"Just imagine, you never have to be overlooked again—"

"If you and your love—"

"are together, forever..."

Hiccup frowned. Of course not at the idea, right now, he wanted nothing more than that possibility. To be with Jack, the real Jack. Not any image of him, he wanted something alive. But he was suspicous, giving each falcons a scrutinizing expression. "I don't understand."

"Pitchner, he has untold powers."

Hiccup's eyes widened. "The Drake Warlock?" he looked down, considering the idea for a second. "But... that's... After what he did... That's impossible... I couldn't... Could I...?"

He remembered that time, at the Dark age when he was a child Drake, Pitchner had lived within the Village of Berk with everyone else. Then, he wanted to control and take command of all Dragons, infuriated that no Dragon seemed to deem worthy for Partnership. He almost did it too, and how the Dragons and Drakes alike suffered then.

The gods intervened, telling the Chief how to take away a Drake's power of transformation. Also, giving Stoick strength to take away his power of transformation, guiding him to cut off his shoulder wing, and having Thornado eat it. So he or anyone else couldn't reuse it.

Hiccup's inner-Regent shone through. Despite what his father just did to his sketches and Jack's portrait, he couldn't trust Stoick's old enemy and someone who tried to harm Dragons. "No!" he said with determination. "Get out of here! Leave me alone!" he turned his back on them.

"Suit yourself."

"It was only a suggestion."

The falcons started to fly off, but one used its talons to flick a chard remains from the portrait, a portion of the canvas still attached, the portion where you can still Jack's face, minus the outline of his entire head and hair and it hit Hiccup's deformed foot.

Stirring once more, Hiccup looked down to what hit him and found the chard. He picked it up, touching the last remains of the portrait of the most beautiful creature he ever saw. He bit his lip, undecided. Could he live with this being the only piece he has left of Jack? No, that was even more impossible than... than...

"Wait."

The falcons turned back expectantly. "Yeeeeeeeeeess?"

:::::

Astrid and Toothless were still waiting at small piece of land a bit detached from the main island. 

_Oh Hiccup... This is all your fault! _Toothless snarled at Astrid.

Astrid groaned, chagrined. "I didn't mean to tell, it was an accident!" She protested.

Then, they saw a blur a little ways off from the corner of their eyes, and turned their heads to find Hiccup holding on to one talon each of two falcons as they brought him down to the lower parts of Berk, farther and farther from the main island.

"Hiccup?" Alarmed, Astrid flew over quickly, Toothless following behind. "where are you going?" she finally made it by Hiccup's side, using Toothless as leverage to make sure she doesn't go furthur down. "Hiccup, what are you doing here with these suspicious birds?"

The falcons didn't react violently, keeping their head in their objective.

Without looking at her, Hiccup replied quite snobbishly. "I'm going to see Pitchner."

Astrid's eyes went wide. Toothless just cocked his head, not present at during the Dark Age because he just recently appeared in Berk and chose Hiccup as his partner Drake, having him settle down at Berk. Astrid tried pulling on Hiccup's arm.

"Hiccup, no! No, he's not to be trusted, he's a monster!"

"That's what dad said about Jack and humans, isn't it?" Hiccup glared at her. "So why don't you go tell him that instead? You're good at that, and he'll surely agree with you." he shoved her roughly off him. He grabbed hold of the talon he let go off in behalf of shoving Astrid, and the falcons flew off faster.

Astrid was dumbstruck, taken aback by his words. The way he vaguely blamed her for what happened moments before. "But... But, I..." she groaned, and mounted on Toothless. "Come on."

:::::

The falcons brought Hiccup to lower ground, where they were just under the island. Hiccup can see a hole shaped as if to be a cavern, and it was known as the entrance to Pitchner's lair, the Dark Depths. The falcons flew directly in, Hiccup hang back holding on to some roots, unsure with the hostile atmosphere the entrance evoked.

"This way." The falcons beckoned.

Swallowing, Hiccup glided through. He stumbled into some patches a Dark roses, trying to grab at him with their thorny stems. He flinches, trying to scramble away fast. Unbeknownst to him, Astrid and Toothless were following closely behind him, freaked out as well by the roses.

Hiccup flinches when he heard a deep chuckle, turning to its Dark owner.

"Come in. Come in, my boy. No need lurk in doorways— possibly not very courteous." Pitchner stepped out of the shadows. "Come now, I won't bite." he grabbed Hiccup's hand, not roughly but still suddenly that Hiccup tried recoiling but there was an odd grip on his hand. "Now, then. You're here because you have a shine for this mortal. This, er, noble fellow. In spite of your father's disapproval," Pitchner waved a dismissive hand, settling on his throne, placing the younger boy just on top of his lap, making him squirm uncomfortably.

_Why did I agree to this again?_

Astrid and Toothless arrived, hidden by the hallway entrance of the secret cavern, making weird and confused looks at Hiccup's position on the Dark man's lap, wondering how that happened.

"Not that I blame you—Stoick can be a little overbearing since he is an old Drake. Can be annoying for us young Drakes, eh?" Pitchner smiled, almost looking flirtatious about it.

Hiccup finally managed to get off of him. "Uhm, and how old are you exactly? Last I remembered, you were already an adult when I was little... well, littler."

"Ah yes, you were a little adorable runt back then, weren't you?" Pitchner laughed easily. "well, I say you're still plenty adorable, but in a whole different light. Say, attractive adorable."

Astrid gagged.

Hiccup blinked, levitating back as he hit the underground walls. "Again... How old are you?"

Pitchner laughed. "Details, details," he leaned back at his throne. "Well, my young Hiccy,"

"_Hiccy_?! Wha—?"

"—the solution to your problem is simple." Pitchner shrugged, petting his falcons. "The only way to get what you want is to become mortal yourself."

Hiccup widened his eyes, coming closer despite the previous advances. "Can you _DO_ that?"

Pitchner smirked mischievously along with his falcons as he turned back to Hiccup. "My dear boy. That's what I do—it's what I live for! To help unfortunate Drakes— like yourself. Poor souls with no one else to turn to."

Hiccup raised a brow. "Uh-huh... Last I check, you tried taking over the place, and everyone else was miserable?" he pointed out.

Pitchner laughed, chuckling, pinching the boy's cheeks._"I admit that in the past I've been rather nasty, t__hey didn't lie when they called me, well, a brute. __But you'll find that these days, I've reformed my greedy ways. __Repented, seen the light, for the better good. __True?_" Hiccup moved back, slapping the hand away, getting annoyed."_Yes. And I fortunately know a little magic." _He ruffled up Hiccup's hair and summoned out a cauldron, materializing from black sand.

Hiccup blinked while fixing his hair.

"_It's a talent that I always have possessed; __And here lately, please don't laugh, __I use it on behalf o__f the miserable, lonely and depressed..._" Pitchner moved aside, speaking lowly to his pets, eye-rolling. "...Pathetic..."

Hiccup raised a brow, not quite hearing. Astrid and Toothless exchanging looks. Pitchner conjured images of two Drakes, possibly previous customers? They both had lonely looks to their eyes, meeting once, it seemed. The guy seemed attracted to the girl. However, the girl had eyes for more obviously attractive and handsome drakes.

As the story continued, it showed the girl asking Pitchner to have any handsome drake fall in love with her, and the guy asked Pitchner to look more attractive.

_"Poor unfortunate folks, i__n pain. In need. Well, this one wished for love, and that one had much to give__. __And do I help them? _" Pitchner waved his hands, the male drake transformed to look more attractive and later, presented himself to the girl. The image froze, ending with them embracing each other dramatically. "_Yes, indeed._"

Astrid rolled her eyes, thinking it was ridiculous to base attraction on looks alone.

"_Those poor unfortunate folks, __So sad. So true._" A new imagery came up, this time a bunch of other drakes; an old man, turning young. A frail boy, even more so than Hiccup, earning a muscular built. And a pregnant male drake crying over a dead one till the corpse was reanimated, and brought back to life. "_They come pleading for my power, c__rying 'Grant our wish, Pitchner please' __And I help them? Yes, I do."_

Suddenly, all the illusions froze.

"_Now there may be two or three who couldn't present their fee__._" Hiccup watching horrified as all the Drakes, even the one revived, in the illusion were disintegrating and transformed to roses. "_And alas, I had to alter their merry state..._"

Astrid gasped, realizing that most possibly those roses back there were Drakes, and she was grateful at least Toothless didn't fire them. But wasn't this the thing Hiccup was getting into? The boy must realize the gravity of the situation by now, right?

"_I admit, it's such a shame__, b__ut a wish's price must be paid,_" Pitchner whirled streams of black sand around Hiccup, bringing the boy against him. "_By those poor unfortunate folks."_

Hiccup stiffened when Pitchner tossed a careless hand around his shoulders, bringing him in front of the cauldron.

"Now, here's the deal. I will make you a potion that will make you mortal for three days." He looked at Hiccup, holding up three fingers. "Got that? Three days. Now listen, this is important."

Pitchner bent lower, practically bringing their faces near to the boiling cauldron, cheeks pressed up against each others. Hiccup tried moving back to no avail.

"Before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get the young dashing heir to fall in love with you."

Pitchner moved back to Hiccup's relief. But found himself blushing at Pitchner's next words.

"That is, he's got to kiss you." Pitchner made a face a bit at this. Hiccup cocked his head in confusion as to why the expression of disapproval. "Not just any kiss. But the kiss of true love. Not any of that silly, infatuation business." he said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "If he does kiss you before the sun sets on the third day, you'll remain human, permanently."

The cauldron conjured an silhouette of Hiccup with completely humanoid legs, no more scales at all. And his feet touched the ground! Hiccup couldn't help but smile. He'd get Jack too!

"But—" Pitchner broke his train of thoughts. "if he doesn't, you turn back into a Drake," he smiled evilly, cupping Hiccup's chin. The boy blinked, wide-eyed. "and... you'll belong to me."

Astrid fumed, clearly things were going far enough. She could see where Pitchner was going with this. "No Hiccup!" Toothless and Astrid were about to barge in when they were silenced by the fearlings.

"Have we got a deal?" Pitchner stood back from Hiccup.

The boy thought about it. The choice wasn't easy... "If I become a mortal, I'll never be with my father again..." he frowned. He was still angry at what Stoick did, but he didn't hate him. He could never...

Pitchner put a hand on his own face, feigning a trouble expression as if considering the idea to be dreadful. "That's true..." then he smiled mischievously once more. "But you'll have your love. Life's full of tough choices in it." he chuckled, "Ah! And there is one more thing. We haven't discussed the subject of payment. I may have explicitly implied it already, but you can't get something for nothing, you know."

Hiccup looked alarmed. "But I don't have any—" he trailed off as Pitchner put his hand over the boy's mouth.

"It's not as expensive as you'd think. Just a token, really, practically trivial. You'll never even miss it. What I want from you is..." he held Hiccup's left hand. "your talent."

Hiccup blinked, uncomprehending. "Wait... What?" he looked at his hand. He frowned, slowly understanding. "so... what you're saying is..."

"You've got it, Hiccy. But I'm not cutting it off or anything horrid as that. But it will simply be invalid, immobile, incapacitated..." Pitchner shrugged. "And so, no more sketching or chances of trying that painting thing humans are so fond of."

Hiccup frowned. "But it's the one thing I'm good at... And after what dad did," he rubbed his hand. "I—I need to make up for it, sketch some new ones... Remake Jack's portrai—" Pitchner cut him off.

"You'll have the real deal, twenty-four seven, or would you perhaps prefer the rather mere sketch images of him for the rest of life. Surely, it wouldn't compare to actually being with him, hm?" Pitchner reminded, throwing some potions to the cauldron. "_Go ahead! Cast the die! __I've got a life to run, a__nd I can't wait all day. It won't cost much, j__ust your skill! __You poor unfortunate boy..._"

Hiccup looked down, hesitant as a scroll and feather quill presented itself in front of him. This skill he had was the best thing about him, it was the first thing that made his dad happy because he sketched his mother's portrait with it the first wedding anniversary after her death. His mother was skilled in that aspect as well, it made him feel his mother was right there...

Was he willingly to give that away for Jack?

"_It's sad. But true,_" Hiccup jolted, startled out of his thoughts as Pitchner suddenly appeared beside him, "_In life, you must lose to win, my boy, for things don't come for free__. Need a moment? T__ake a breath, __go ahead and close the deal,_" The scroll and quill glower brighter, almost blinding Hiccup."_Your dreams, make them real...Y__ou __poor unfortunate boy~!__"_

Maybe it was the pressure, or it could have been his true desire after all. But without thinking about it for a moment longer, Hiccup grabs the quill and holds his breath, as he signs contract. Astrid widened her eyes in dismay. The scroll glowed brighter as the quill disappeared from Hiccup's hand. The parchment zapped to Pitchner's hands, and as the Drake closed his hand around it, it vanished as well. Pitchner had a cruel, evil expression on as he summoned his dark magic. He intoned a indistinguishable incantation, an illusion of a green glowing parchment brought to Hiccup.

"Now, for the last time!"

Hiccup frowned, before jolting as his hand moved on its own, making strokes across the supposed parchment, making out an image, Jack's face. By just thinking of the boy, there was accurate an portrait made.

"Keep at it!"

Hiccup did as he was told, feeling the strength and sense of movement from his hand slowly fading away, and as soon as he completed the last stroke of the portrait, his hand fell futile to his side as the green parchment turned to a fog that enshrouded him. Hiccup felt pain like never before, screaming as he felt his scales disintegrate as if they were being scraped off. The fog swallowing up his wing shoulder, the aura so great, it was practically incinerating Hiccup's clothes.

Pitchner laughed maniacally, a hole opened up from the ground below Hiccup.

As the transformation was completely, Hiccup fell unconscious and down to the hole. Panicked, Astrid and Toothless broke free from the nightmares to aid the boy who was falling quite fast, transforming into a human as he did so.

:::::

Somewhere up the mountain pass. Jack walked passed the same cave he was found after the storm. Abby barked at the entrance, running in and out. He groaned.

"Thinking about _that _again?" Jamie, Aster's blacksmith apprentice and best friend to the Prince, walked along side said groaning boy.

Jack gave him a helpless expression. "Those hands... I'm itching to feel them on me again..."

"Sounds kinky."

Jack scowled, hitting Jamie's shoulder, who just laughed. "I wasn't talking about that!" he groaned, and pulled out a parchment, that had been found by Abby, from his pocket. He folded it opened to reveal a portrait of him sleeping, but a smile on his face.

Based on the details, with the unkempt hair, bruise marks on his face here and there, it was drawn after he landed by the cave, probably before Nicholas and Aster showed up. It was so accurately and creatively drawn, only hands like those could've done it.

"I've looked everywhere, pal, where could he be?"

Jamie smirked, throwing a hand around his friend's shoulder. "And you sure you're not just looking for a personal sketch artist to make you a better portrait of yourself?" he asked, referencing the lost portrait previously gifted to him.

"I'm being serious Jamie!" Jack glared, looking at the skies and away from Jamie. "I have to find him."

Jamie gave him a pat on the back. "Well, I have my own search to do and a job to get back to. So, I'll see you later all right?" he walked away. "Don't go off a cliff trying to find him. I'm not sure he'll be around to save you from falling a second time."

:::::

On the other side of the mountain from where the two brunettes were, Astrid is weary, leaning against Toothless, Hiccup passed out on top of said dragon. Finally, he begins to stir and sits up. Falling over because he had been using his left hand as leverage, at that part of him was not usable. He landed on Astrid's lap, who pushed him off, disgusted.

But given that the boy was practically naked, save remnants of his torned up trousers, the girl couldn't be blamed.

Hiccup groaned, sitting up when he finally noticed he was able to touch the ground, and his legs were entirely flesh. He broke to a grin, wriggling his toes.

That's when a hummingbird decided to appear. "Well, look at what the winds dragged in! Look at you! Look at you! There's something different." Thiana perched on Hiccup's knee. "Don't tell me—I got it. It's your hairdo, right?"

Hiccup and Toothless exchanged looks, their eyes narrowed. The former Drake was still smiling however. Astrid face-palmed.

"No? No huh, well let me see. New... scales?"

Hiccup raised a brow, smirking.

"No... No, you can't change your scales, hm? I gotta admit I can't put my foot on it right now," Thiana hopped to Hiccup's foot. The boy moved it up and down to get her to finally notice it. "but if I just stand here long enough I know that I'll—"

Astrid groaned. "HE'S GOT LEGS! He traded his sketching skill to the Drake warlock who's got a shining for him as well and got rid of his scales for a complete human body!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Hiccup raised a brow. "She knew that. C'mon, she was just playing." he pointed out. He tried getting up, feeling the ground on his barefoot, trying to get his balance.

_Hiccup's been turned into a human._ Toothless explained to the bird._ He should make the mortal from the airship fall in love with him, and he has to kiss him. _

"And he's only got three days." Astrid moaned, falling back, floating mid-air. "Just look at him. On legs. On non-scaly, human legs!"

Hiccup yelped at Astrid's volume, falling back to his butt. "Ouff!"

Astrid shook her head. "He can barely maintain balance floating, now look at him! This is a catastrophe!" she up-righted herself. "What would his father say? I'll tell you what his father would say, he'd say he's gonna execute a certain blue-scaled female Drake for letting this happen on her watch, that's what chief would say!" she went on with her hysterics, as Hiccup got back up, patting the dust off his bottom. "I'm gonna march myself straight home right now and tell him just like I should've done the minute—"

"No, no! Astrid, we can't tell him! Please—!" Hiccup widened his eyes as Astrid prepared to transform, grabbing her arm and shaking his head.

The female drake huffed. "Oh, don't you shake your head at me, you pathetic Drake!" she cupped her chin. "Maybe there's still time. If we could get that warlock to give you back your hand's mobility, you could go home with all the normal Drakes, and just be..." Astrid looked at Hiccup's face, seeing it fall back to a frustrated frown. "just be..." she faltered, rolling her eyes up and letting it stay there. "just be miserable for the rest of your life." she face palmed once more, dragging it down. "All right, all right. I'll try to help you find that noble."

Hiccup grinned, embracing the girl before said girl pushed him, making him land hard on Toothless's back.

"Odin. What a soft-scale I'm turning out to be." Astrid muttered.

Thiana flew in front of Hiccup. "Now, sweetie, if you want this human boy to like you, you have to dress like a human." she flew to the forest path, looking through some fallen autumn leaves. "Now let me see..."

:::::

Jack and Abby were still walking along the mountain path, the boy hoping by some sheer luck his unknown rescuer might still be hanging around. Suddenly, Abby sniffs the air and gets excited.

"Abby?" Jack notice the dog getting hyper, bouncing at him. "Huh... what," then, the dog suddenly makes a run for it, barking. "Abby!"

At the other side from where Jack was, Astrid has her arms crossed, eyebrows raised as she gave Hiccup the once over, now being dressed in some patches of autumn leaves the hummingbird had weaved together in a rush with some help from other nearby forest creatures.

"I'm not sure that's what humans wear..." Astrid commented as Hiccup looked at his arms and legs coated by the makeshift outfit.

Thiana shrugged. "He looks great. It's the best I could work with." she pointed out.

"Guess can't argue that..." Hiccup sighed.

Suddenly, they hear barking and in no time a greyhound materializes from the bushes. Astrid gasped, getting out of sight with Toothless as they hear a man's voice follow. The dog chases Hiccup, who starts running up a boulder.

"Hiccup, use your right hand! Right hand for leverage not the left!" Astrid reminded as the man's voice draws closer, she and Toothless ducking down the edge, grabbing the bird down with them.

"Abby!"

The dog hears the voice as she managed to give Hiccup one lick. The dog runs off, giving Hiccup the chance to wipe his face, and then look up to discover the man who was approaching the clearing.

"Quiet Abby!" Jack chuckled as the greyhound pounced at him. "What's gotten into you girl?" he takes the time to look up, and finally sees Hiccup. "Oh." he blinks, not expecting to see a boy dressed in... what, leaves?... all the way out here. "Oh, I see." Jack went over as Hiccup frantically runs his hand through his hair, hoping it doesn't look too unkempt. "Are you okay, pal?"

Hiccup shrugged shyly, as the dog once again tried jumping at him. "Erm, I'm... all right, I guess..." he bit his lip, looking passed his bangs.

Jack smirked, finding the way the boy bit his lip to be adorable. He then tried getting Abby to calm down. "I'm sorry if she scared you." he smiled down his pet. "She's harmless, really—" he looked up once more, only to find the stranger staring back at him intensely and they were almost nose to nose. He was taken aback. "... you... seem very familiar ... to me." Jack muttered, eyebrows scrunched up. "Have we met?"

Hiccup smiled excitedly, nodding the same way.

"We have met? I knew it!" Jack jumps up, and Abby gets excited too, nudging Jack closer to Hiccup, barking as if to say _yes, yes you found him all right! _"You're the one—the one I've been looking for! See, I told Aster I wasn't crazy!" Jack grabs hold of Hiccup's right hand. "What's your name?"

Hiccup was starting to lose his balance on the boulder. "It's Hic—" he tried using his free hand for leverage, but seeing as it's the incapacitated one, it only made him topple over. Reacting quickly, Jack caught him so that Hiccup didn't go so much of a hard landing.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, raising a brow. "Is something broken?"

Hiccup sighed. "It's my left hand... I can't move it, it's incapacitated." He could move the arm attached to it, but he was unable to make the fingers so much as twitch.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that," A thought occurs to Jack. "so I guess your right hand does all the scribbling work?"

"No... My left used to do that when it wasn't... well, like this." Hiccup bit his lip. It's not like he could tell him about the exchange even if he wanted to. He wasn't sure humans believed in stuff like warlocks.

Jack sighed. "Oh. Then you couldn't be who I thought." he muttered dejectedly.

Hiccup blows at his fringes, both he and Abby look frustrated.

"Still," Jack turned back to him, offering a smile. "can't leave you here," he said."Can you stand?"

Hiccup shrugs and starts to get on his feet. Apparently, he still hasn't mastered balance and gravity. He almost fell over again.

"Whoa, whoa, careful—careful! Easy." Jack grabbed his waist, pulling Hiccup to him. And then they were looking at each others eyes. Jack found himself blushing and getting flustered, Hiccup was already that moments ago. "Gee, you must have really been through something. Don't worry, I'll help you." With that, Jack hooked his one arm behind Hiccup's knees and scooped him.

Hiccup yelped, grabbing at Jack's neck. "Is—is that necessary? I can walk..."

"Not from where I was standing." Jack laughed easily. "Come on, you'll be okay."

The former Drake shrugged, sighing as he settled himself contentedly in Jack's arms. Still, Jack was far from giving up on finding the person who rescued him. He was still determined to find that special boy.

However, something at the back of his mind screamed at him, that his special boy was right under his nose.

Astrid groaned. "Idiot..." She grumbled, about who, she couldn't decide.


	5. New Experiences

Jack somehow managed to carry Hiccup the entire way. The smaller brunette was very light. Add to the fact that, being of nobility, Jack had a reputation to keep, to excel in all things, strength included. So carrying a feather weight boy, a quite adorable boy, came easy for the chocolate brunette. They made it past the huge gates and into his mansion's borders and inner walls. Reaching the entrance, Jack saw Jamie. Said blacksmith apprentice blinked at the scene before him. But he managed a smirk.

"Is this who I think it is or did you just finally get over this mysterious rescuer and pick out another?"

Hiccup face-palmed, wishing he could prove he was the **DAMN** rescuer.

Jack scowled. "Neither of those," he shot back. "found him at a forest clearing on the mountains." he explained, finally settling Hiccup down, but he held him by the waist, making sure he wouldn't topple over.

Jamie held out a hand. "Hey. I'm Jamie Bennette, nice to meet your acquaintance." he said out of courtesy.

Hiccup stared at the hand, unsure what to do. Jack nudged him playfully, making him jolt. The former-Drake looked up to Jack, eyes-blinking.

"This is the part where you take the hand and shake it." Jack said, almost teasingly.

"Uhm," Hiccup cocked his head. "why?"

Jamie and Jack looked at each other, as if considering the question.

"I... don't really know," Jack admitted in wonder. "society just decided it was a proper greeting, I guess."

Jamie shrugged. "Non-verbal communication? Body language?" he said, dropping his hand.

Both humans nodded, deciding to let that answer the question. Hiccup looked more confused. "Society?" Now they both looked at confused.

"How long have you been living high up the mountains, kid?" Jamie smirked.

Hiccup flushed. "I-ahem-lived way higher than you may think..." he look down, somehow embarrassed.

"Hey, don't look down. We weren't making fun," Jamie consoled him, "so, your name, by the way?"

"It goes something like Hic—" Jack said. "—what was the rest of it?"

The former drake looked at him, "It's Hiccup."

Jack barely managed to hold in a snort. "Wow, that's, uh, that's some name." he jest.

Hiccup scowled. Sure he liked this guy, but it's never been fun when anyone got a dig out of his name. "I know... But it's not the worst." he said defensively.

Jamie replayed the name in his head, however. _Hiccup... I'm sure I heard that name before... Hiccup... Hiccup... Hiccu— _Then his eyes went wide as the flashback revealed itself to his mind's eyes... Back at the night that storm hit...

:::::

_ **Jamie's been frantically looking for his best friend when Aster told him Jack never made it out the airship, but they still needed to find his body. Dead or alive.** _ _ **Jamie wasn't one to believe Jack was dead, however. He hoped he wasn't, he have yet to repaid him the debt his life owed.** _

_ **He found something else, though.** _

_ **Jamie's been calling Jack's name awhile now, when he was about to make another holler, he heard a different name being called out just before someone bump into him.** _

_ **"HICCU—Ah!"** _

_ **It was all a blur, but Jamie could easily see someone being forced back after impact, falling off balance. On instinct, he reached out to take this person's hand to stable her equilibrium.** _

_ **But there was nothing stable about the person.** _

_ **Jamie's been searching awhile, and his eyes has long adjusted to the dark, and he was anything but daze from the impact.** _

_ **He blinked, seeing the most beautiful girl he ever laid his eyes on. And he's seen a lot of girls, having them watch him with longing glances when he was working by the forge. She had nice blond hair styled in a thick braid, a headband adorned above her bangs, not slim but not fat either, she had good physique. Jamie looked at her form head to toe...** _

_ **And that's when he noticed it. Her feet didn't touch the ground, which would explain why she still seemed wobbly despite Jamie trying to hold her steady.** _

_ **"Are you... flying?"** _

_ **The girl's beautiful blue eyes widened, as if horrified, as if a secret's been find out. Then, they could hear an adult voice calling out. She clawed her hand free from Jamie's grip, and the boy saw it was literal. Her right hand felt like it was a claw.** _

_ **She took off, continued to call out for a name, as if desperation and panic. "HICCUP!"** _

_ **Jamie knew what she was, seeing the long tail, shouldered wing,and one arm and leg each scaly when she was illuminated by the moonlight on her take off.** _

_ **A Drake.** _

:::::

Jamie broke out of his thoughts with Jack snapping fingers in front of his face, trying to call him back down to earth.

"Earth to Jamie, come in Jamie." The Prince almost sang. "You gotta take Hiccup to the bath,"

Jamie blinked, shaking off the flashback. "Wha—what?"

"Wow. Look who's spacey." Jack laughed. "It's almost time for dinner. I need to tell North about our little guest, so do you mind taking care of Hiccup and get him to freshen up?"

Jamie still looked a bit in a daze. "Oh, oh. Uh, yeah. Sure, no problem man." he replied.

Jack nodded and offered a smile to Hiccup. "So, I'll see both of you at dinner, right?" he asked. Jamie simply nodded. A blush bloomed at Hiccup's face, hiding the freckles that were there, forcing Jack to think. _Cute..._

"S-sure,"

Jack went into the mansion leaving the two together.

Jamie looked at Hiccup again, more out of speculation than anything else. "Your name is really Hiccup?" he asked.

"Well, it's actually Hamish. But I usually go by Hiccup," the green-eyed boy shrugged. Jamie furrowed his brows. "... why are you looking at me like that?"

Jamie shook his head. _I can't say for sure yet... _"Nothing... Nevermind," he smiled at the boy. "so Hiccup, let's get you cleaned up and into some..." he gave the boy a once over, trying not to laugh. "... Real clothes."

:::::

Astrid was a nervous wreck as she watched everything transpire behind some bushes bordering the Palace front courtyard. She and Toothless couldn't possibly return to Berk to answer to Stoick. He knows that they were the last two with Hiccup and should be most capable to explain his absence. Not like Toothless would even think of returning home without assuring his rider's safety.

But that wasn't why she was a nervous wreck.

"Damn, it's him! Gods, why him?" she ducked under the bush once more.

Toothless bent lower, and gave Astrid a confused look. _Him who? What about him?_

Astrid looked at the dragon. "Remember the storm that Hiccup saved Jack from?" she asked. Toothless gave her a look at the stupid question. "RIght, sorry. See, he's not the only one who met a human that time..."

_Do tell..._

"It's when I was gliding all over the place, trying to look for you guys. I ran into this human, and he grabbed my hand... And... And then... He... he..."

_He...? Out with it Astrid,_

"He saw me floating! Damn it," Astrid smacked her forehead. "And that human is the one right there by the entrance, what if he recognizes me? Damn, Hiccup'd be screwed!"

Toothless gave Astrid a look, almost sage-like. _And you find him attractive, then?_

"Well, I—" Astrid blinked, replaying the question. "THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE!" she flushed, glaring at the dragon.

_It was just a question..._

"The issue is that guy means trouble to us," Astrid said to get back to the topic. "and we have to make sure he stays away from Hiccup and doesn't get a chance alone with him."

Toothless offered the girl a dry look. _About that plan... _he peeked out. _Failed it the moment you said that..._

"Huh?" Astrid peeked out, and gaped. Hiccup and Jamie were no longer at the front of the Palace doors.

:::::

Jamie prepared the bath, the bigger one for Hiccup as customary for guests. And then the smaller one just across of the newcomer for himself. He was going to dinner too and had to be presentable himself. Working at the forge leaves him sweaty in seconds after all.

Hiccup was busy playing with bubbles. Drakes usually bathe in lakes. In Berk, there were specific lakes allowed for only drinking, bathing, and fishing. He could only suspect that the bubbles came as a result of something Jamie poured into the water. They were somehow ticklish to him

Little did Hiccup know some townsfolk were already talking about his sudden appearance to the Palace. Jamie heard them talking when he went back to the forge to inform Aster he was called for dinner.

_~~Well you must have at least heard about this boy.~_

_~~Well, Phil says...~_

_~~Since when has Phil got anything right. I mean really, this boy shows up clothed in leaves, and can't walk for himself—~_

_~~... not my idea of a bachelor.~_

_~~If Jack's looking for a partner, I know a couple of highly available ones right here, both beautiful dames and handsome lads. I mean, even Jamie ...~_

For Hiccup's self-esteem, Jamie decided not to say anything about the gossips. Especially that last part. The kid seemed like a nice person, pretty decent too. Although that brought him to question his choice of clothing.

"Hey Hiccup, mind if I ask something?" Jamie asked, getting into his tub of water, he rested his head on the edge and looked at the newcomer

Hiccup glances Jamie's way. "Uhm, guess not." he shrugged. "what is it?"

"Why were dressed in leaves?" Jamie asked. "And what were you doing at the mountain alone?"

Hiccup laughed nervously. _Well, I wasn't techically alone... Gods, how do I answer this without being suspicous?_ The green-eyed boy thought about it more. "Uhm... It's a long story... As for the leaves... Well, it's the best my friend could weave together at such short notice..."

Jamie raised a brow. '_At such short notice,'? Friend? Could it be... her? _He just had to find out. Besides, if he was wrong, a guy wearing leaves would be the last person he'd worry about thinking he was weird. "Uhm, sorry to bombard you with questions, but..."

"Hm?"

"Do you—by any chance—happen to know a girl, blond hair tied up in a thick braid?" he raised his hand. "about... yey high?" he let it fall, and narrowed his eyes. "A bit...scaly?"

Hiccup widened his eyes. "You know Astrid?!" he blurted to his own horror. "I, I mean...! Oh gods..."

_Astrid... That's her name? So... He does know... And that means... well, at least maybe... he is..._"You're a Drake," Jamie concluded bluntly. "aren't you?"

Hiccup's mouth popped open, and he moved farther back in the tub till he reached the farthest side. "How did you—?" he stammered, stumbling on his words. He frowned. "you, you're not gonna... Spear me, are you?"

Jamie blinked, surprise by the question. Then he thought about his questions, sounding suspicious. It did come out threatening... So he offered a kind smile. "No, I just wanted to know," he said. "so... are you?"

Hiccup scrutinized the boy, unsure. "What would you do if I was?"

"Well, if you are a Drake," Jamie started. "I would ask next where your scales and tail are. Really, I'm still amaze that I'm talking to one. You guys are supposed to be myths."

Hiccup allowed himself to trust the boy a little. "It's a long story..."

"So you've said," Jamie smirked. "you didn't sneak into Jack's estate to help your kind overthrow our world or something, did you?" he asked lightly, but there was some seriousness to it too. "Because let me warn you right now, if that were the case, then I should spear you."

Hiccup shook his head frantically, wide-eyed.

"You sure?"

More rigorous nods.

Jamie narrowed his eyes, reading the boy's expression carefully. Then he smiled once more. "You seem sincere about that, so I'll trust you." he nodded. "sorry for coming out as threatening, but you know, I can't have anyone just waltz in and try to do anything against Jack. I was orphaned, see, and he kinda took me in like a brother, to work with the blacksmith as his apprentice." he smiled softly at the memory. "He made me continue believing that there's still hope for the future, so I owe that to him. Who knows where I could be now if not for him..."

Hiccup nodded slowly, understanding. But he thought about Jamie's concern for Jack, and he paled considerably. "You... Don't like him... I mean, that _way_... Do you?"

"Huh?" Jamie blinked once more, confused with why he asked the question. "That way? What... Oh my g—" he tried not to choke in his laughter.

Hiccup widened his eyes, cocking his head in wonder.

Jamie tried to get a hold of himself. "D-don't tell me, let me g-guess," he managed out between snickers. "you're an eccentric Drake, made a pact with some witch or whatever in exchange for something, and you got three days to get Jack to fall in love with you so you can stay a human."

Hiccup's jaw hit the floor-figuratively. "HOW IN ODIN DID YOU GUESS THAT FAR?!"

"Same thing happened," Jamie smirked, shrugging. "Off a different Kingdom, only it's a Mermaid situation. Don't know the whole details, but I'm pretty sure the mermaid managed to meet the deadline since she's now Queen of that Kingdom."

Hiccup stared at Jamie, slightly scared. "you're kinda creepy... You know that?"

"So," Jamie leaned at the tub's edge. "what did you give up?" he asked.

Hiccup continued to give Jamie a weird look, before letting it drop. "My talent." he used his right hand to lift up his left. "I used to sketch with this hand a lot, and I guess I'm pretty good. For some reason, Pitchner—that's the 'Witch' by the way, but he's a Warlock—anyway he wanted my skill as compensation now I can't move it."

"I guess you are the rescuer then, since Jack's basing his search for this guy with a sketch, and if that's the exchange..." Jamie nodded. "All right Hiccup," he smiled again. "you can count me in."

"Uh... huh? What?" Hiccup blinked. "what do you mean?"

Jamie laughed, as if the answer should be obvious. "I'm helping you win his heart. Duh," he waved a dismissive hand. "I mean, seriously, you can't expect to simply tell Jack you really are his rescuer and then it's love. Love shouldn't be that easy,"

Hiccup flushed, cause he was hoping it could be just like that.

"You can tell him that part after you really got him under your fingers." Jamie shrugged. "And seriously, everyone's been waiting for that knucklehead to settle down. So, what's the plan?"

Before Hiccup could say anything, something came crashing in through the now open window. And Astrid and Toothless were right in front of Hiccup.

Back faced to Jamie, who couldn't look more surprised in his life.

"Hiccup, finally!" Astrid jumped off Toothless. "Listen, I need to warn you about something!"

Hiccup was fumbling for words. "A-A-Astrid!" he gasped, clutching his chest and sinking in furthur to the tub. "I'M NAKED!"

"This is important! It's about that other guy you were talking to with earlier aside from Jack! Stay clear of him!"

Jamie made a look now from behind them.

"Uhh..." Hiccup blinked. "...Astrid?"

"I'M SERIOUS! He saw me the night of the storm, and we can't afford him to be on to us!"

This time Toothless spoke. _Astrid..._

"Toothless, for the last time, even if he is attractive, I am not about to say that about a human," she looked at the Dragon. "got it?"

Toothless made a look, and he moved out of the way, revealing Jamie. The human smiled at her, narrowed eyes, and he waved.

"Hey." He greeted, in the middle of climbing out of the bath, and wrapping a towel around his waist. "A bit too late for that, huh?"

Astrid's mouth hang open. Hiccup face-palmed, the blond's face flushed at the sight of a half-naked Jamie.

:::::

"Oy Snowflake," Aster shook his head. "be reasonable. Nice young boys don't just float around rescuing people in the middle of the mountains and then bloody take off into oblivion, like some—"

Jack groaned. Aster's been biting his ear off the past hour. "I'm tellin' you, Aster, he was REAL!" he said with conviction. "I'm gonna find that guy." Jack placed his arm against the window sill, and leaned his forehead against it. "And I'm gonna marry him." He muttered under his breath.

"Ah Aster," Nicholas laughed heartily. "let the boy be."

Then, they all heard Jamie's voice follow.

"Sorry we're late."

Jack looked up to find Jamie escorting Hiccup in, who was now dressed in some real clothes. A nice brown suit and pants with a complementing green tie that brought out his eyes. The heir didn't know why, but he felt his heart skip a beat, and a slight jealous pang at Jamie's position. Thinking, he should've offered to escort him to dinner himself.

Nicholas acknowledge them. "Oh, you must be Hiccup, I am Nicholas. But please, call me North." He told the boy. "So, how do you like the clothes?" he smirked, getting the run-down from Jack, how he found the boy in some patches of leaves sewn together.

Hiccup laughed wearily. "Definitely an improvement from what I had on earlier sir." He admitted.

Jack didn't notice it but he had been approaching the boy, still staring. "You look... nice." He managed to get out.

Aster made a look, unimpressed. Jamie shared the same expression. 

_That's the best he's got?_

Hiccup took it though. He flushed, smiling shyly through his fringe. "Thanks…" Jack still wore his simple white dress shirt and tight pants, but the green-eyed boy thought it was for the better. He'd probably be too star struck if Jack wore more impressive clothes.

Aster eye-rolled, but said nothing. _Kid looks flattered at least._

"Come, come, come," Nicholas gestured them to the table. "you must be famished."

Jack jumped at that, cutting between Hiccup and Jamie, bringing Hiccup to the table himself. This gesture did not go unnoticed to Jamie, who tried not to laugh out loud at Jack's reaction.

_Hiccup's halfway there already. _Jamie shook his head, settling down to a chair left of Hiccup.

"There we go—" Jack grinned at Hiccup, pulling out his chair for him. Hiccup sat down, not letting his eyes drop from Jack's face. If he ever got his skill back and still managed to win Jack over, it would still be nice to draw him. "Make yourself comfortable."

Nicholas beckoned Jack to take his own seat. The heir followed, taking the one to Hiccup's right, the young man trying to move it closer to said boy. Aster rolled his eyes and put it back to position. Hiccup frowned, confused to why the older man moved Jack farther from him, when he looked down at the table and saw strange instruments. He's never seen anything like them before. He wondered what they were.

Jamie's been observing Hiccup, blinking. "Uh… Hiccup…?"

"Ugh, Aster, why can't you just let me—" Jack scowled. 

"C'mon Snowflake," Aster rolled his eyes. "don't look so eager, you might weird him ou—" he trailed off as they look up and see Hiccup poking his finger at the fork, before combing his hair with it experimentally.

Jamie look mortified, face-palming. _Should've seen something like this coming…_

Jack, Aster, and Nicholas dumbfounded.

Hiccup finally noticed the eyes on him. Embarrassed, putting the fork down. _Maybe it's not for that__? _he considered. Back at Berk, they usually ate food barehanded so he didn't know what the extra tools were for. Nicholas cleared his throat, and tries striking up a conversation when Hiccup sees a drum on a chair near the window and brightens. He stood up and went right to it, Jamie's eyes follow, alarmed. The others did so as well.

"Uh, can ya play mate?" Aster called out, holding a platter of an egg dish. "That is—"

Hiccup simply opens the window, and whistled out a tune, putting the drum on a table nearest to the window. Birds suddenly started flying in and he orchestrated them to perform on it. Jamie and Jack blinked, but they smiled. Jamie, out of relief it wasn't that bad a display. Jack, because he was impressed. Aster and Nicholas just looked amused. Suddenly, the birds looked at Aster, seeing the platter on his hand. And let out a shrill indignant cry.

They flew right to him and a started pecking him.

"Ah, agh! Oy!" Aster yelped. "Bloody snappers! Argh!" he tried batting them away.

Jack broke into fits of laughter, as did Nicholas, Jamie politely holding back because Aster was also his boss. Hiccup looked chagrined, calling the birds back, sending them out and closing the window once more.

Aster glared at Jack, Jamie and Nicholas.

"Ahem. So—sorry, Aster." Nicholas apologize curtly.

Jack snickered. "I'm not." He jest.

Hiccup had to smile, at least he impressed Jack. He walked back to the table and sat himself down. "Sorry… About that, sir." He apologized to Aster.

"Say, Jack," Jamie jumped into the conversation. "It's the first time I've heard you laugh like that in weeks. Guess all it takes is Hiccup being around, huh?" he threw the mentioned boy a knowing look.

Jack shrugged. "Maybe~" he smiled at Hiccup.

Hiccup blushed, managing a shy smile.

:::::

Astrid slumped against Toothless. Jamie escorted Hiccup out for dinner with Jack and some other humans, and she's stuck inside a closet with Toothless to avoid detection, when she should be keeping an eye on Hiccup.

"Odin," Astrid grunted. "what is it with Hiccup and trusting humans easily? Telling everything to a human…" he muttered under her breath.

Toothless tried to get comfortable. _Technically, he guessed everything…_

Astrid sighed. "I can't believe we're resigned to trusting on a human to help us with this, leaving him to watch over Hiccup while he tries to woo Jack…" she grumbled, but found herself thinking it was for another reason, that it was because Hiccup get to be out in the open with Jamie escorting him there…

Toothless made sound in his throat, as if to laugh, aware of Astrid's angst. _Jealous…_

Astrid turned on that. "I am NOT!" she protested, hitting the dragon. Toothless yelped, Astrid could really hit hard. He turned around and accidentally ended up stumbling out the closet.

Where Abby happened to enter the room that same moment. Dog and Dragon locked eyes.

"Odin, we're screwed." Astrid blinked.

:::::

Everyone in the dining hall we're in the middle of dinner when they heard Abby barking, a loud crash, and a girl screaming.

Jamie and Hiccup paled.

Nicholas and Aster raised a brow.

Jack… Well, he's there.

"Uhm-heh-probably the maids," Jamie stood up quickly. "you guys... carry on, I'll go see what they're up to." He left the room quickly.

Hiccup had to smile. _Thank you, Jamie…_

"This is the weirdest dinner I've ever attended," Aster sighed.

Nicholas cleared his throat and spoke directly to Jack. "You know, Jack, perhaps our young guest might enjoy seeing some of sights of kingdom. Something in way of a tour?" he said suggestively.

Jack was too busy staring at Hiccup pick on his food to hear immediately. The green-eyed boy look up, cocking his head. "Uhm, he's talking to you Jack." He pointed out.

Jack blinked and turned to Nicholas, hiding a blush. "I'm sorry, North, what was that?"

"You can't spend all your time moping about, you need to get out." Nicholas sighed. "Do something, have a life. Get your mind off—"

Jack laughed. "Easy, North, Easy. It's not a bad idea. If he's interested." He turned back to Hiccup excitedly, who was still cocking his head cutely. "Well—whaddaya say, cutie?" he raised his eyebrows suggestively, causing Hiccup to almost choke on his pasta at the sight. "Would you like to join me on a tour of my kingdom tomorrow?"

Hiccup manage to nod vigorously, trying to chew his food without being messy about it. He swallowed largely. "S-sounds fun," he choked, blushing bright red.

:::::

Meanwhile, back at Berk, Hiccup has yet to come home and his father is thinking he might've ran away. As a father all he wanted was to protect his son, his child, the one reminder left he has of his beloved wife. Valka risked her life to save Hiccup back then, when they were out soaring the skies, trying to teach Hiccup how to turn into a Dragon when they were attacked by some humans on an Airship.

Hiccup had fallen off Stoick's back, and Valka rushed to intercept, getting hit in the process. She barely managed to throw Hiccup back to Stoick when she started to plummet. Stoick debated, at war with himself that time. They were under heavy fire, but he could've matched the humans a hundred fold if he turned Dragon, all to retrieve his wife's body. But he had Hiccup to consider. As respect to Valka, he chose to retreat and get his child to safety.

Years after, Stoick wanted nothing more than his son to be safe, he almost didn't let him go to the Dragon Academy. But with all his protectiveness... Maybe he had crossed the line this time.

Stoick is waiting at home when Gobber enters. He stood up, rushing to his best friend.

"Any sign of them?"

"No, Stoick. We've searched everywhere. We've found no trace of Hiccup, Toothless, or Astrid."

Stoick is pale in the face. "Well, keep looking. Leave no rock unturned, no cave unexplored. Let no one in this sanctuary sleep until he's safe at home." He said in a rush.

"Yes Stoick." Gobber nodded and went out, he got on his boneknapper, taking flight and ordering the younger Drakes, Snoutlout, the twins, and Fishlegs, on their Dragons to continue searching

On his favorite chair, Stoick rubbed his face with both his hands, remorseful and anxious. "Odin, I did this… I did this…"


	6. Why don't you kiss the boy?

Astrid's hanging on to Toothless's back as Abby chased them out the back courtyard. Mind you, Toothless was anything but scared of the dog, but rather scared _for _the dog. He can take it on no problem. But if he ended up doing that and hurting the dog beyond repair... Well, that won't be helping his rider's situation.

Jamie's right behind the three, leash at hand. "Come here Abby, what are you doing?" he called out, watching them going on about it around in circles. "Down girl!"

_Any day, human!_ Toothless snarled, even though Jamie couldn't hear him—in that context. All the human will be able to make out is a snarl.

"Yeah. Hurry up and get that thing under control!" Astrid hissed, barely hanging on to Toothless and rather dangling by his side. "this is not an easy place to be, gravity and levity aside." she grunted.

"'m working on it," Jamie bidded his time, and when Abby passed him, he dove towards her, effectively catching her collar with the leash, the dog underneath him. Toothless settled down, too. Jamie lifted up himself from Abby, grinning triumphantly. "Hah! Score one for Jamie Bennette!" he stood up.

As soon as he stood, Abby charged once more. This time, catching Toothless off guard, as well as Jamie, making him follow the tug of the leash that Abby was pulling. In the process of Toothless avoiding it, somehow, the leash got tangled up on everybody.

On one side, with the length of the leash minimize, Abby couldn't reach and get a bite on the Dragon.

And on another, Jamie was effectively pressed against Astrid, their nose touching, eyes widening, cheeks flushed.

Toothless rolled his dragon, cat-like, eyes. _Definitely score one for Jamie Bennette._

Suddenly, they all froze when they heard a voice.

"Abby, where are you?" Jack's voice called from afar. But they can see his silhouette.

In panic, Jamie struggled to free Abby off the leash, knowing the dog would answer to her master first and foremost rather than attack. True to his expectations, Abby forgot all about the Dragon, rushing to find her master. Jamie led Astrid and Toothless to hid on the other side of the Palace walls. Astrid and Jamie's eyes caught once while in hiding, something akin to longing and a kind of spark of some sort, before turning away in embarrassment.

Jack saw his Greyhound approaching. "Come here girl!" he grinned, bending down to her level when she finally pounced.

"Arrr..."

From above a balcony, Hiccup's been watching Jack, a dreamy expression on his face as he leaned against the ledge, one hand against his cheek. He sighed in content. And he was very excited for tomorrow.

Jack made a goofy face while cooing Abby, rubbing her fur vigorously. Abby lapped at him, tongue sticking out. Then, she turned her head upward to the right. Jack follows her gaze and he sees Hiccup with adorable look on his face. He smiles, raising his hand to give the boy a wave.

Hiccup seems startled for a moment, snapped out from his thoughts, then he is embarrassed. He managed out a crooked smile, a small wave and sneaks back inside.

Jack smirks, looking forward for tomorrow more than he initially thought.

:::::

Jamie's been trying to sneak Astrid and Toothless back into the grand manor while finding a good hiding place. They were now in the second floor corridors when they saw shadows a bit ways off, and some girly giggles.

Maids.

Jamie looked around frantically and recognized the room to his left as Hiccup's and forced Drake and Dragon inside.

Hiccup was simply stretching, getting ready to hit the hay. "Oh," he yawned. "Hey guys," he still had a goofy grin plastered on his face even as Toothless headbutt him, missing him. "I'm going out with Jack tomorrow..."

"That all you gotta say?" Astrid scowled at him. "This has got to be, without a doubt, the single most humiliating day of my life. And that's all you can say?"

Jamie shrugged. "I wouldn't say it was that bad," Astrid threw him a look. "Hey, just my opinion."

Astrid sighed, shaking her head and giving Hiccup a cross look. "I hope you appreciate what I go through for you, you hopeless Drake." she muttered.

Hiccup shrugged, getting into bed, finding it very soft as he sank further into the mattress. The boy grinned, enjoying gravity more and more. He bounced himself up and down the bed, laughing as if a child, even Jamie can't help thinking he was cute.

"Now, we got to make a plan to get that human to kiss you." Astrid glide-paced the room. "So when he takes you out, you gotta look your best. Absolutely no makeshift leaves. Don't smile so lopsided, try not to fumble on your words as much, and—" there's a tap on her shoulder. She looks and sees Jamie, who was pointing towards the bed. Astrid follows the directions and sees Hiccup is asleep, a smile on his lips, arms hugging his pillow. She sighed. "You are hopeless Hiccup." The Drake went over, patting the former Drake's forehead. "You know that? Completely hopeless..."

Jamie sneaks them out again, although it was hard for them to get Toothless to come along. They went up higher the staircase to a room almost like it was an attic which was the human's sleeping quarters. Jack's best friend or not, he was still a servant. But on the good side, there was a door leading outside to his own private portion of the roof that no one else can enter without going through Jamie's room first. Plus, it had a good blindspot. A Dragon wouldn't be seen from that vantage point from any angle at all even in broad daylight.

Jamie prepared a hammock for himself, sitting on it before turning to Astrid who sat-more like hovered-on his bed. Unlike the Dragon, she couldn't handle the cold of the night.

Astrid was staring at Jamie warily, looking like she wasn't ready to sleep.

"I'm not gonna try anything," Jamie sighed. "so go ahead and rest. I'm sure it's been a long day for you."

Astrid blinked. "Okay. First off, I don't even want to know what you mean by '_anything_.'"—blush, from both sides—"Second, it's not like I can sleep easy." she sighed.

"Home sick?"

"Not exactly, although that is part," Astrid hugged her knees. "I'm just... Unsure about what happens after this..."

"What do you mean exactly?"

Astrid raised her head as she looked at the boy. "I mean," she started. "getting Hiccup together with that guy. What happens when he succeeds and he stays human? How in Thor's name will I explain this to his father? And this—this whole idea of a Drake loving a human. That's—that's not just something a Drake would even consider doing, falling for a human. It's not accepted..."

Jamie sat Indian cross-legged on the hammock, elbow digging into his thigh as he listened, one hand against his cheek. "So why are you doing this?"

"Well, I feel bad, because part of this is my fault that Hiccup got mixed up with that warlock. Sure, he'll turn back to a Drake if he fails, things would be easy if that was all there is." Astrid rubbed her creased forehead. "But I can't have Hiccup resigned to being with that creep if he fails this. Still, the question of his father remains and I can't stay here forever..." she frowned at the human. "... why am I even telling you this?"

Jamie raised a brow. "I think the better question is, why not?"

"You're a human. I shouldn't be talking to you so freely and easily like this..." _So why is it easy? And why do I feel like I want him to listen to me...?_

Jamie offered a smile. "Drakes... Humans... You... Me..." he shrugged. "We're both persons. We both have obligations, wants, needs, feelings, things we believe in... People we want to protect. A purpose, our center..." he said.

Astrid scrutinized him. "... So why are you doing this? Helping Hiccup, I mean."

"Because," Jamie looked at her in the eyes. "Hiccup is Jack's rescuer, the one he fell in love with even before really knowing who he is. Getting them together... Well, they'll both be happy. I owe Jack, and finally I know how to pay my debt. Hiccup seems like a nice boy, so I want him happy too and I trust that he would take care of Jack. And I like the kid well enough."

Astrid's brows furrowed. "Even if he's not your kind? Even if he's a Drake?"

"Even if he's a Drake," Jamie nodded, chuckling.

Astrid managed to finally trust the guy, giving the human her approval at last. "You know what, Jamie? You're all right..." she added quickly. "for a human."

"You're not so bad yourself, Astrid."

They smiled at each other.

:::::

The following morning. Jack was dressed in a simple blue shirt with a hood, and Hiccup was in an outfit similar to his green long-sleeve v-neck, fur vest, and fur boots outfit. They leave for their tour after breakfast with Jamie. The green-eyed brunette is bouncing up his seat beside the carriage with Jack, by everything. 

Back at the manor, Jamie is saddling up a horse to prepare a day of stalking the noble heir and his date. It was a good thing it was his day off. Toothless was already ahead, hidden at the woods. Astrid was all ready on the horse, a cloak around her to hide her scaly features and the fact that she was hovering instead of simply sitting on the saddle. It was given by Jamie.

"Did you hear if he kissed him yet?"

"Not yet." Jamie sighed. "And I was with them for breakfast."

Astrid sighed. "Guess I can't hope it to be easy..."

:::::

Jack rented a bike, and Hiccup realizes this was something he sketched before. The heir got on, and had Hiccup positioned to ride in between him and the handles. Jack grinned, speeding up. Hiccup laughed, raising his hands up in the air as they went down the things he finally know as streets leading to a bridge where you can see the ocean.

"This is amazing!" Hiccup cried out. "I've never ridden a bike before!"

Jack laughed with him. "Then I'm gonna make it a ride you'll never forget!" They went downhill, feeling the thrill and exhilaration, winds blowing their flushed faces. When they reached the other end of the bridge, Jack continued maneuvering the bike to the forest path.

Hiccup was living his sketches.

The heir grabbed Hiccup around the waist, the smaller boy squeaked, and Jack jumped off the bike, and they rolled down a grassy hill to a pasture, laughing the whole time.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Jack chased Hiccup around when they finally got to their feet again, the human teaching the boy the game of tag. But at one point, Hiccup stopped running as something caught his eyes, letting Jack catch him.

"Aw c'mon, don't make it easy for me!" Jack laughed.

Hiccup looked at the heir. "Jack," he pointed at what he saw, the structure he saw and sketched before. Kids riding, adult pushing...

"What, the tire-swing?"

Hiccup blinked. "Tire-swing..." he said, almost in some wonder.

Jack stared at the boy's expression, and grinned as he thought of an idea. In one swoop, he had Hiccup in his arms, bridal style. The smaller boy yelped as Jack ran towards the structure. He placed Hiccup on the tire and started pushing back and forth. Hiccup's stomach did some flip-flops and he laughed, enjoying the ride.

"Higher, higher!"

"You got it!"

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

The boys did a lot of things together. They found a lake, and Jack taught Hiccup how to swim, when the boy got the hang of it, they splashed around and started a full-blown water fight. When they had enough of that, they climbed trees. Mostly Jack though, since Hiccup had the tendency of falling off. The heir got some apples and hang upside down to, one, show off, and two, show the apples to the the smaller boy without getting down.

"We should have a Picnic!"

"Picnic?"

"Yeah! You know, get some more food, a sheet of cloth, and eat on the ground." Jack beamed. "I haven't done it in awhile,"

Hiccup widened his eyes at the descriptions. "Let's do it, let's do it!" he said with much vigor and excitement, Jack didn't expect so he ended up falling off the tree.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Hiccup and Jack returned to town to get more things for the picnic, like a basket of food and the sheet of cloth. When Hiccup heard music and turned to where he was hearing it from. The boy grinned goofily and tugged Jack, who yelped because he was in the middle of talking to a shopkeeper for good food to have for picnics.

Of course, the heir didn't mind being tugged like that cause it meant dancing with Hiccup. The smaller boy was a bit rusty at first, but teaching him was half the fun for Jack. At one point, Hiccup leaned too much and was about to fall but Jack had a firm grip on him. Jack smiled at Hiccup, taking him by the waist and lifting him up with a spin.

Hiccup couldn't be happier.

Jamie, Astrid and Toothless were spying from the bushes, when Thiana appeared and nudged the cloaked Drake. "So, any kissing?"

"Gah!" Jamie jumped back, hitting Astrid. "I, It talks?"

One question was ignored.

"No," Astrid sighed dejectedly. "not yet."

Tooth frowned. "Hmm. Well they they better get at it soon."

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

The boys took the carriage again, Jack driving and Hiccup holding on to the basket of food. He was watching the heir driving curiously, Jack noticed and held the reins to him, as if asking if he wanted to try.

Hiccup beamed, shoving the basket to Jack and took hold of the reins, snapping sharply. Jack yelped, clutching on to the basket as if for dear life. Soon, their was a cliff overhead, and Hiccup grinned taking it as a challenge. Jack widened his eyes, paling considerably. The smaller boy gave a mighty snap, and the horses neighed loudly in shock, making the leap just in time and right over to the other side barely with a rough landing,

Jack fell off his seat that time. Incredulous and amaze he was still alive, he climbed back to his seat and smiled weakly albeit sincerely to Hiccup, who smiled back.

_Damn, this guy's a lot of fun, _Jack thought, sitting back and relaxing, basket on his lap, assured their were no more cliffs ahead.

:::::

The sun was setting, Hiccup and Jack were done with eating and simply sat side by side. They were by an edge of a cliff, looking at one another, thinking the same thing about the other.

_He's so cute._

"Move over, move your wings." Astrid frowned at Toothless who wasn't looking at her anyway.

Jamie agreed. "We can't see a thing."

Toothless whined. _Because n__othing is happening... _He complained as Hiccup and Jack got up, walking side by side.

The three trailed behind them stealthily until the two targets settled at a clearing, woods bordering it around like a circle, already you can see the moon just above them. Jack and Hiccup sighed, and laid down on the grass, simply gazing up at the full moon.

_Only one day left, and that guy hasn't leaned in once._ Toothless growled. _If he doesn't the next minute, I'm gonna Plasma blast him..._

Astrid stared at the Dragon. "Jamie," she spoke. "Toothless is gonna burn Jack to a crisp if we don't move this kiss along fast,"

"That can't be good for Jack," Jamie frowned.

Thiana flew to action. "All right, sweeties, leave it to me. First, we got to create the mood." she looked around for other woodland creatures nearby. Turtles drummed by ducks. "Percussion..." Crickets sounding the night. "Strings..." A breeze blowing through some bamboo. "Winds..." Thiana flew, moving near the dating boys. "Words...: _There you see him, i__lluminated by the moonbeam Ray~_"

Jack blinked, as if hearing a voice. He was compelled to turn his head to face Hiccup, who was still watching the moon, light basking his face somewhat making his freckles more noticeable.

Hiccup sighed in content, turning his head to face Jack, smiling, when he gawked at the sight of Thiana. "_Awkward in whatever he says, s__till there's something about him. __And you don't know why, b__ut you're dying to try; y__ou wanna kiss the boy._" Thiana took flight, Jack heard her, and sat up to look but didn't catch sight of her.

"Did—did you hear something?"

Hiccup laughed weakly. "H-hear what?" he feigned ignorance, blushing.

Thiana nudged Astrid's cheek. The Drake looked at her. "What?" the bird smiled and told her to sing, too. "What?! Why?"

"You want to help Hiccup, don't you?" Thiana looked at her seriously. "C'mon, they aren't making eye contact now!"

Astrid sighed in resignation, taking a breath. "_Yes, you want him, l__ook at him, you know you do._" Jamie was entranced by the beauty of her voice. "_He probably wants you too, s__o go and romance him,_"

Like Thiana said, the boys weren't making eye contact. But with Jack still thinking the voice to be some kind of conscience, he slowly turned to face the boy again, bashfully. Hiccup didn't notice at first, but when he did, he beamed right back at him, sitting up slowly. Jack couldn't help but smile back at how everything about the boy made his insides tingle.

"_It doesn't take too much, g__ive his hand a little touch, l__ean in and kiss the boy._"

Jack reached over and held Hiccup's hand, and with the smaller boy's smile encouraging him, he was leaning in. Hiccup's heart leapt as he prepared himself to be kissed, but Jack chickened out in the last minute much to Hiccup's disappointment.

_No, he's not the one I'm looking for... _Jack reminded himself.

Tooth flew over heard, getting the woodland creatures to pitch in more. "Sing with us now,"

"_Sha la la la la la, m__y oh my, l__ook like an heir's too shy, a__in't gonna kiss the boy. __Sha la la la la la, a__in't that sad? __Ain't it a shame? __Too bad, Jack's gonna miss the boy._"

Hiccup sighed dejectedly, getting up, intending to walk off, probably to return to the carriage. He was probably kidding himself. Jamie was right about love not being easy, but maybe for him, it was probably impossibly hard. He's never gonna get the heir to kiss him.

Jack looked alarmed. The heir grabbed his hand. "Where are you going?"

"Uhm," Hiccup shrugged resignedly. "we're not really doing anything now... Maybe it's time to... You know, just head back."

Jack frowned. "You want to head back now?" For some reasons, he didn't want this moment to end just yet. He felt something still needed to be done.

"Well, why not? Do you have other ideas of what we can do?"

Jamie frowned as he watched the scene unfold, seeing that Hiccup was at the brink of giving up if Jack doesn't use his brain and think for once. He sighed, taking a breath. "_Now's your moment u__nder the bright full moon,_" Astrid turned towards him quickly, entranced this time. Jack blinked, suddenly hearing his best friend's voice as if urging him...Urging him... To do what exactly? But he knew, deep in his heart he knew, the answer was right in front of him. "_Pal, you better do it soon, n__o time will be better. __He won't let you fall; __No worries, he'll save you from a fall, j__ust finally kiss the boy._"

At that moment, fireflies came out and Hiccup and Jack were surrounded by them as they stood face to face of one another. Jamie and Astrid looked at each other, Thiana flew and hovered between them, they nodded in understanding.

"_Sha la la la la la, d__on't be scared. __Oh Jack the mood's prepared; __Go on and kiss the boy._" Toothless flapped his wings, creating a wind blast of some sort, the force making Hiccup shiver, compelling Jack to stand up as well and move in closer, wrapping the smaller boy in his arms. "_Sha la la la la la, d__on't stop now, d__on't try to hide it now, you__ want to kiss the boy. S__ha la la la la la, g__lide along; a__nd listen to the song; t__he song say kiss the boy. __Sha la la la la, t__he music play, d__o what the music say, y__ou got to kiss the boy, y__ou've got to kiss the boy,__ wanna kiss the boy, y__ou've gotta kiss the boy. __Go on, Jack, kiss the boy."_

"Do it already!" Astrid and Jamie muttered, unbeknownst that they were holding both of each other's hands in suspense and anticipation. "Kiss him!"

Jack looked into Hiccup's beautiful green eyes, bright with hope and eagerness. The heir brought his hands up, cupping the smaller boy's cheeks, cradling. In content, Hiccup's eyes were half-lidded, cheeks flushed. Jack closed his own eyes.

And he leaned in.


	7. The Crippled Drake

Jack and Hiccup's lips gravitated towards one another, and they lightly brushed, when they heard a startled cry. They felt the ground shake, and Jack was shoved from behind by the horses who started running past by them.

Jack yelped, falling over Hiccup, who hit his head hard against a rock. "Ouch!"

"Argh!" Jamie and Astrid groaned.

"Aww," Thiana sighed. "So close..."

Toothless snarled. _Stupid horses..._

"Er, sorry Hiccup..." Jack said, chagrined. Hiccup moaned, and the Prince realized he was weighing down hard against his left hand. "Whoops, sorry..." he leaned back. "Did I hurt your hand?"

Hiccup shook his head, using his right hand to hold his left one against his chest. "It wasn't the right one. Can't feel anything with this one, so..." he shrugged. "no harm done,"

Jack took the incapacitated hand. "Still, I feel bad about it," he sighed, raising it to his lips, kissing the back part.

Hiccup blushed heatedly.

But Astrid and Jamie were peeved.

"Right idea," Astrid started.

Jamie finished. "... wrong place."

:::::

Meanwhile, at the the spot where the horses once were, snakes were crawling back to the shadows where the transformed back to falcons and took off.

Pitchner saw everything from his hole.

"Nice work, boys." Pitcher spoke directly to the sphere. "That was a close one. Too close. The little fishbone! Oh, he's too adorable for his own good," he made a frustrated scowl. "At this rate, he'll be kissed by sunset for sure." He got off his throne and walked to his cauldron, conjuring a vague image. "Well, it's time Pitchner took matters into his own wing! Stoick's lad will be mine—and then I'll make that man writhe for ever messing with me!"

The vague image turned into a clearer image of Jamie.

Pitchner smirked. "My dear Hiccy," he chuckled lightly. "It seems you cannot trust anyone anymore, hm?"

:::::

Astrid floated back to the bed, sighing. They had been so close, but now, they had to beat the deadline on the last day. Creating that mood wasn't easy, so how on earth do they recreate an atmosphere like that again tomorrow. They certainly don't have an entire day.

"We'll think of something,"

Astrid blinking, sitting up to look at Jamie. "Huh?"

"We're not out of the game till that sunsets, right?" Jamie smiled encouragingly. "I'll try talking Jack into thinking about Hiccup, maybe it'll be enough for him to contemplate his feelings for our friend."

Astrid cocked her head. "_Our _friend?"

"Well, yeah." Jamie smirked. "After everything today, haven't I earned the right to call him that, too?"

Astrid smiled, and floated to him. "If that's the case, then you can have the right of calling me your friend, too." she said, giving her trust totally.

"I feel honored." Jamie chuckled. Suddenly, he frowned.

Astrid raised a brow. "What's wrong?"

"Well... After all this... You'll be going home, won't you?" he looked into her eyes solemnly. Astrid blinked, dazzled by the human's eyes. "... Will I ever see you again?"

Astrid considered the question, twirling a strand of her hair involuntarily. "Uhm..." she stalled. "So... you were going to talk to Jack?"

Jamie frowned at the way she avoided the subject. "Guess I was..." he sighed. He lit a candle and left the room.

Astrid moaned, going back to the bed. "Odin... I'm not supposed to feel this way..." she complained. "It's _Hiccup_ all over again..."

Toothless stuck his head in. _Told you, you like him..._

Astrid threw a pillow his way.

Jamie walked along the dark corridors, the candle his only source of light. Oddly, a breeze blew passed and his candle out.

"Huh? Where-?" He murmured when he heard a sinister chuckled. He flinched, turning, trying to get his eyes to adjust. "W-who's there?" he called out.

That's when a tall, slender man stepped out the shadows, smiling mischievously down at the boy.

Jamie's scream caught in his throat, seeing that the stranger's feet didn't touch the floor. He had a suspicion to who he was. "You—you're the Drake warlock, aren't you?" he glared.

"Oh what a smart boy you are," Pitchner smirked. "well, since you save me the trouble of introducing myself, let's get down to business, shall we?"

Before Jamie could react, Pitchner materialized into a shadow, entering the human's body through his gaping mouth, Jamie couldn't even scream. His eyes pinched shut in pain but when they opened again, his brown eyes were replaced by pale whites.

And then, he laughed, the sound of Pitchner's till it faded back to Jamie's.

"Now, for the finishing touch," Pitchner chuckled, summoning the parchment exchanged Hiccup gave as his payment, transforming it to a cape to wear. "and I'm ready to meet a noble heir."

:::::

Just outside the back courtyard, Jack sits up on a tree, looking and running his fingers through the very much creased sketch of his portrait. His thoughts were in deep contemplation. He was rarely one to give up easily but... He looked up, his eyes catching Hiccup from the balcony, sitting on the edge, his feet dangling, hair blown by the night breeze. The boy yawned, stretched a bit before returning inside.

Jack smiles softly, before it fell and he sighs. The heir looks at the sketch one last time before ripping it to strips, the slips taken away by the winds. He looks back to Hiccup's balcony, decided. He jumps down the tree, not looking where he was going to land.

And now he was on top of Jamie.

"Oh man!" Jack gasped, getting off. "sorry 'bout that man." he said, then noticed what he was wearing. "since when is a cape your style?" he teased.

Jamie smiled at him, but it didn't seem like it was _Jamie's. _"Wore it just for you," he took one end of the cape and brought it to the front.

Jack blinked as the cape seemed to change for a second, as if revealing an image of himself, the same image from the sketch he tore. The shine of his eyes dulled as he was put under a spell.

:::::

Hiccup moaned groggily to the rude awakening the following day from his bird friend.

"Hiccup! Hiccup, wake up! Wake up! I just heard the news." Thiana chirped, rubbing herself against his cheek. "Congratulations, sweetie, you did it!"

"What are you talking about?" Hiccup raised a brow as Astrid and Toothless snuck in.

Astrid raised a brow. "What's Tooth doing here?"

"Right—" Thiana chirped. "as if you two didn't know, uh? The whole town's talking about the Jack gettin' himself hitched this afternoon!" she got blank stares in return. "You know, he's getting married! I just wanted to wish you luck. I'll catch you later, I wouldn't miss it!" Thiana flew off.

Toothless looked at his rider. _Jack's getting married?_

"But—" Astrid raised a brow. "that means... Hiccup, you—"

Hiccup looked thoughtful, his mind connecting the dots. _Does this mean... he's gonna... gonna...? _Then, he brightens, jumping out of bed. Sort-of danced with Astrid, and was about to run out. He looked at himself real quick at the mirror before rushing out the door.

The green-eyed boy made it the stairs, rushing down to it. He made it to the first landing when he heard voices... And caught himself short, eyes widening in horror.

There Jack was in a regal outfit, Jamie right beside him... clutching unto his arm!

"So let me get this straight, Jack." Aster made a look. "all this time, your rescuer was Jamie?" he looked skeptical.

Nicholas rubbed his beard. "Well, that certainly is unexpected... But I guess congratulations are in order,"

Hiccup widened his teary eyes, shaking his head. He had trusted Jamie, the boy told him he had no feelings for Jack... He said he could count on him! Why...

"We wish to be married as soon as possible." Jack said, as if entrance.

And that killed Hiccup.

Aster and Nicholas gawked, glancing at each other with blinking eyes. They were utterly confused, didn't Jack went out with Hiccup on a date only yesterday? If anything, their heir and young master should be announcing their engagement.

"Oh, yes—" Nicholas raised a brow. "of course, Jack, but, er—but these things take time, you know...

"This afternoon, Nicholas. The wedding airship departs at sunset."

Nicholas rubbed his forehead, wondering where his god's son demanding actions came from. "Oh, oh—very well, Jack—as you wish." he sighed.

Hiccup couldn't take it anymore, he rushed off crying. Jamie looked up, catching a glance of the boy.

He smirked maliciously, stroking the cape around him. _Sorry my boy, _he thought._ but I simply can't have you taken by this feeble mortal..._

:::::

Hiccup made it back to his room, crying unto his pillow. Astrid and Toothless stared at him, wide-eyed and astonished. Astrid approached him first.

"H-Hiccup," she placed a hand over his back comfortingly. "what's the matter?"

Toothless nosed Hiccup's arm. _What's wrong? _he whimpered.

Hiccup sobbed, fumbling on his words. But he manages to get the news out. "J-Jamie... Jamie's m-marrying Jack..." he choked, he sat up only to bury his face against Toothless.

Astrid widened her eyes, and something inside her made her want to cry too.

"You and dad were right, Astrid... You couldn't trust humans," Hiccup sobbed, shaking his head. "they only end up hurting you..."

:::::

The sky was turning orange signifying the coming of twilight. Thiana is flying and humming to herself, going towards the wedding airship she knows held Hiccup, preparing for the ceremony that was coming up soon.

And she wasn't going to miss it.

Thiana's plan was to fly directly on deck, but he heard some singing, and got curious. She steered towards the porthole, peeking in. It was a dressing room.

Hiccup wasn't in it, and it wasn't Jack either.

"_What a lovely beau Hiccup will make, __a perfect mate of mine._" Instead, there was the short-cropped brunette human from yesterday, fashioning a green cape while practically dancing while preparing, running his hands through brown locks. "_Things are working out __according to my ultimate design._"

Thiana watched curiously, cocking her head to the side. The boy looked different somehow, his eyes weren't brown as she remembered, instead it was...

She widened her eyes as she saw the cape shimmied, glowing somewhat, revealing an image, similar to that sketch Hiccup created when he first saved Jack, before it disappeared human stepped over a chair, then to the table with a big mirror attached.

"_Soon I'll have that Crippled Drake, th__en the skies and Berk will be mine!_

The boy laughed manically, tilting the mirror to the right angle to look at his image.

Thiana gasped, horrified, seeing a different appearance of a Drake with dark scales and pale white eyes. "The Drake Warlock!" she flew, taken aback by the revelation. "Oh no... He's—" the gears worked in her read as she came to a realization. "I gotta..." In panic, she runs into the side of ship. She's momentarily daze, shaking it off, Thiana Flies off to find Hiccup.

"Hiccup! Hiccup!"

It was late afternoon, the airship was a long way off, almost a dot in the skies. Astrid and Hiccup stood back to back against each other, Hiccup still crying on his knees, Astrid punching the pier floor board repeatedly, Toothless curled around them.

How the dragon would love to burn that airship down, but that's not gonna heal his rider's broken heart... Or even Astrid's.

"Damn it, Hiccup..." she groaned, exasperated. "now I know how you feel..."

Hiccup sniffed, but he managed to look at the girl curiously. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"It's stupid but..." Astrid sighed. "I... I think I fell for a human too," she admitted dejectedly. "I fell for Jamie, too... Guess they never warned us about this, huh?" she laughed with no humor.

Hiccup frowned, sympathetic. To him, he only felt betrayed by a friend. But now, knowing how Astrid feels... He placed a hand over hers. "... Guess we're both idiots..." he offered a small smile.

Astrid looked back, managing a small smile in return. Then, someone comes flying in.

"Hiccup," Thiana perched on his knee, seemingly out of breath.

Dragon and Drakes exchanged looks in wonder. "what is it, Thiana ?"

"I was flying, I wa—" she shrugged at the stupid beginning. "of course I was flying—" Astrid crossed her arms, raising a brow at her. "And-I s-I saw that the lock—the warlock was lookin' in a mirror, and he had a cape of stolen art!" Thiana flew around frantically now. "Do you hear what I'm tellin' you? JACK IS MARRYING THE DRAKE WARLOCK IN JAMIE'S BODY!"

Astrid and Hiccup widened their eyes.

"Wha—so... Wait... Jamie didn't betray me?"

"Are you actually sure about this?"

"Have I ever been wrong?" Thiana questioned.

Toothless gave her a questioning look. _You just implied earlier that Jack was going to propose to Hiccup!_

"I mean when it's important!" Thiana chirped in outrage.

_What are we gonna do?_ Toothless asked his rider as Hiccup stands, going to the edge of the pier, hearing Pitchner's voice in his head.

** _. . . Before the sun sets on the third day. . . ._ **

Hiccup looks thoughtful, connecting the dots in his head. _He never meant to help me at all... Even Berk could be in danger if I don't fix this now! _Impulsively, Hiccup jumps off the pier.

Astrid gasped. "Wait a minute!"

_Hiccup! _Toothless followed behind, swooping under Hiccup to catch him. _are you mad?!_

Hiccup ignored the scold. "We have to get to that airship!"

"He's right," Astrid said in determination, transforming to a dragon herself. _**We have to save Jamie...**_

Hiccup made a look. "Ahem... And Jack," he inserted. "don't forget about him."

_**Whoever comes first, **_Astrid shrugged.

"Wha, what about me?" Thiana chirped. "What about ME?"

_**Go to Stoick, he must know about this.**_ Astrid instructed.

Everyone stared at Astrid as if she grew a second head. "A hummingbird can't fly that high!" Hiccup reminded.

_**Well, it's either her or me, **_Astrid growled. _**But I have someone I'd like to save on that ship too.**_

Thiana looked at all of them, understanding. "Okay, I'll try." she said. "Just hurry you guys," she took off.

Astrid took off next, shooting to the skies almost in lightening speed. Toothless followed behind with Hiccup on him, not as fast because his rider was now human and might not handle the pressure and altitude.

"Come on Toothless, go!"

_Safety first, you're still mortal. _Toothless retorted. _but I'm going as fast as I can!_

Hiccup frowned, seeing Astrid far off, the airship even more so. "Make it faster."

:::::

The wedding was already in progress. Jack was still in his trance-like state as both he and Jamie walked down the isle, the guests clapping from where they stood at the side. They both wore suits, but Jamie's the only one with a cape.

Abby growls at Jamie as he passed, knowing with her instincts he wasn't really Jamie. The imposter glares down at the sound and promptly kicks her before lifting his head high once more.

And they reached the alter.

"Dearly beloved..."

Jamie looks at the horizon, grinning as the sun was beginning to set.

"Yes, um, do you young master Jackson, take Jamie Bennette, to be your lawfully wedded, erm, partner, for as long as you both shall live?"

Jack was still under spell as he answered. "I do."

"Eh, and do you ..."

Suddenly, something overshadowed the deck, everyone looked up and screamed as they saw a large blue mass that is a Dragon. Jamie glared at the intruder as it reverted back to a blond Drake.

Jack remained motionless the whole time.

"I object!" Astrid growled, tackling Jamie to the ground, and the ship is in chaos, the wedding guests panicking. "get out of him, Pitchner!"

Astrid threw several punches. Jamie dodged the strikes and kicked her off him. Astrid yelped, landing on the wedding cake.

Jamie got on to his feet. "Seize her!" he growled.

"Guards!" Aster hollered. "Guards! Get that monster!"

Astrid panicked as she saw some guards running towards her with harpoons. She got off the cake, running towards Jamie once more, grabbing hold of the cape. Jamie tried fighting her off him. And that's when Toothless and Hiccup swooped in.

"AHH! There's more of them!"

"Hic—?!" Nicholas widened his eyes. "Hiccup?!"

Hiccup jumped off his Dragon, and ran towards Jack. Toothless kept the guards at bay. The guards had their hands full bringing him down the Dragon to remember Astrid.

Jamie pierced his eyes at the running former-Drake. "No!"

"Jack!" he was reaching his right hand out to him. "You're under a sp—" the boy was cut off as Jamie tackled him. "Aah! Get off me!"

At that same moment, Toothless rushed to aid his rider, but a mesh net was thrown on him, and the guards weighed it down. Toothless roared, outraged.

Jamie sneered. "No, you are to be mine!" he glowered.

"NO! GET OFF ME YOU CREEP!" Hiccup spat in his face, kicking and luckily managing to get a hit on Jamie's privates.

Howling in pain, Jamie got off the boy. Hiccup struggled unto his feet and rushed to Jack. Jamie tried following, but he was captured from behind by Astrid.

"No!"

"YES!"

Astrid took a knife, and cut through the cape. As Hiccup was running towards Jack, the cape disintegrated the same moment, Jack broke under the spell.

"Uhnn..." 

The young heir shakes his head to clear his thoughts, and looks up to see an illusion filled the air, the glowing aura filling the entire ship, showing the events that transpired the moment the storm begun, to being saved by Hiccup! And being taken to the cave, and when the illusion falls, he's met by Hiccup running towards him.

"Hiccup?" Jack's eyes widened as he saw both of the boys hands reaching out towards him.

Hiccup threw himself into Jack's person, arms wrapping around his neck. "Jack!"

Everyone in the ship stopped in their panic to watch the scene unfold. Jamie's eyes are bloodshot and murderous. Quickly, Hiccup pulled back and takes Jack's face into his hands, smiling brightly at him, tears in his eyes from utter relief he wasn't too late.

"Your hand, you can move..." Jack choked, reaching up to take Hiccup's left hand, the one that was supposedly incapacitated. "This feels like..." The Prince smiled brightly, wrapping his arms around Hiccup's waist, lifting him off the floor. Hiccup giggled as Jack brought their noses together. "You're the one..."

Jamie growled. "Jack, get away from him!" he demanded when Astrid got him on a headlock.

"It, it was you all the time." Jack sighed in content as Hiccup placed his hands against each side of his face. "how I miss this..."

Hiccup smiled softly, leaning his forehead against Jack's. "I'm so sorry, Jack, I, I wanted to tell you..."

"Shh..." Jack hushed, placing Hiccup down. "Just shut up and kiss me." he muttered, leaning in. Hiccup beamed, closing his eyes, going on his tiptoe to meet the Prince halfway.

"HICCUP!" Jamie's eyes widened in horror. "DON'T!"

But just before their lips could met, the sun sets and Hiccup jerks away from Jack, feeling a sharp pain, as he sank down. "Urgh! Oh..."

Astrid cried in horror. "NO!"

Jack widened his eyes, as a scaly shoulder formed from Hiccup's one shoulder, producing a small wing, his left hand and right foot turning reptilian... And he didn't even touch the floor even if he had collapsed. Hiccup was back to who he really was.

The Crippled Drake.

Jamie laughed aloud, but it wasn't Jamie. "You're too late!" He shoved Astrid off of him at last. "You're too late!"

"Jamie?" Jack looked dumbstuck. "wha—?"

One moment everyone saw Jamie, the next, the boy was writhing, his body looked like it was being overshadowed when a slender man came out as if a spirit breaking through from his possessed victim. Jamie fell back, unconscious.

"JAMIE!" Astrid flew to catch him before his body hit.

Jack gasped, and Pitchner charged towards him. He braced himself for an attack, but the man merely shoved him, and in one arm swoop, grabbed hold of Hiccup, who struggled in his arms. Pitchner whistled, and black sand materializes as falcons first then to one Griffin.

"So long, young master." Pitchner winked, throwing Hiccup to his back like a sack of flour, mounting on the Griffin. "say bye, my pet."

Hiccup struggled, trying to break free. "No, Jack! Help!" he tried reaching out to the Prince.

Jack widened his eyes in horror. "Hiccup!" he ran to reach the outstretch hand too late as they took to the skies. "NOO!"

:::::

Pitchner and Hiccup was nearing Berk sanctuary, heading for the Dark Depths. Hiccup struggling the whole while, but Pitchner had a firm grip on him.

"My poor little Hiccy—" Pitchner cooed, snuggling into the boy. Hiccup flinched, trying to push him away.

Hiccup sneered. "What do you want from me?"

Pitchner simply laughed. "Oh my sweet, it's not just you I'm after. I've a much grander scheme in—" he trailed off as their path was blocked.

"Pitchner, stop!" Stoick glowered, riding on Thornado, a worn out Thiana was resting on his shoulder.

Pitchner smirked, relaxing on his griffin, wrapping his arms around Hiccup's body, his chin digging into Hiccup's wingless shoulder. "Why, Stoick!" he chuckled. "Or should I say, Dad?"

Stoick does not look amuse. "Let him go."

"Not a chance, Vast! He's mine now." Pitchner glared at him, revealing the contract in front of him. "We made a deal."

Hiccup tried struggling out of the embrace, looking pleadingly at his father's eyes. "Dad, I'm sorry! I-I-I didn't mean to. I didn't know—" he appealed.

Stoick saw red, and signals Thornado to attack the contract with a fierce wind blast. Stoick widened his eyes as it didn't work. Pitchner smirked evilly. Stoick transformed to a Dragon to get the job done himself, still it was to no avail.

Tooth gasped. "B-but that's-"

Pitchner laughed mockingly at his efforts. "You see? The contract's legal, binding and completely unbreakable—" he flew nearer to Dragon and Drake. "even for YOU. Of course, I always was a man with an eye for a bargain. The son of the great Chief of Berk is a very precious commodity..." he rubbed his cheek against Hiccup's, then with a finger snap, Hiccup gasped in pain, as he was shrinking down to a black rose. Stoick widened his eyes, reaching for his son. But Pitchner was still in the way. "But—I might be willing to make an exchange for someone even better..."

Pitchner smirked at the unsure expression of Stoick. He holds up the contract, and the quill floats towards him.

"Now... Do we have a deal?"

Stoick glares at the parchment, knowing there was some trick and Berk would be endangered. But his love for his son won over, he turned away as he reached for the quill, and countersigned the contract.

Pitchner grinned in triumph, "Ha! It's done then. But first—" he reaches behind Stoick and cuts his shoulder wing off. Stoick cries out in pain.

Hiccup is reformed to his Drake self, and Stoick falls back and down the skies. Thornado panics, and goes after the body. Pitchner laughs as Hiccup's eyes widened in horror.

"No . . . Oh, No! Dad!" He was about to go after the body, but black sand whirled around him and brought him to Pitchner. "No! NO! You—You monster!" Hiccup would've punched that grin off Pitchner's face if he wasn't bounded. "let me go! The contract's renew, I don't belong to you!"

Pitchner smirked, cupping Hiccup's chin. "My dear boy, is that any way to talk to your future husband?"

Hiccup scowled. "What are you talking about? Who said anything about husbands?" he glared at the man.

"Well, only a Haddock can rule Berk with Thor's blessing, is it not so?" Pitchner laughed as if it should be obvious. "how else will the Vikings take me as their ruler unless I marry into the family first?"

Hiccup widened his eyes at the implication.


	8. Take Over

The airship was still in a bit of a mess, unsure what to do with the dragon trapped on the mesh, hesitant to capture the female Drake cradling Jamie in her arms, as she didn't pose any threat. Most of all, their Prince trying to process what the freakin' hell just happened.

Jamie begun to stir, moaning softly. Astrid looked over him, alarmed and concerned.

"A-Astrid?" the boy spoke softly. "wha, what...? OW!" The boy yelped.

Astrid had slapped him across the face. "THAT's" she begun pointedly. "for scaring me," then she pinched him.

"Yeowch!"

"And that's for everything else,"

Jamie made a look. "I... I remember seeing the Warlock... Then everything went black..." he shook his head. "What'd I miss?"

At that note, Astrid looked Jack's way. "Apparently... A lot."

"N-no... Hiccup... what... why..."

Jack's eyes were still wide, looking at the sky. All he knew was that the person he's been looking for was right under his nose this whole time, and was immediately taken away from him upon discovery.

Oh, and that this special person_ was,_ more ways than one. Like, saying he was _out of this world_ was actual quite literal.

It was Astrid that broke him from his thoughts. "Jack," she called out.

Jack blinked, turning to the voice, seeing Astrid with Jamie sitting up. "Huh... what?"

"That man is gonna make Hiccup his PERMANENTLY if we don't do something about it."

Jack widened his eyes. Then he fumed, "NOT IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT!" he turned to his people. "Release the Dragon! We're gonna need a ride,"

Toothless made sounds of agreement.

Aster made a look. "What if that dingo eats us first?" he questioned.

Toothless glared at him.

"You're just gonna have to trust me," Jack replied. "now Aster, that's an order."

Aster sighed, and sets to work to cut Toothless loose when a woman screamed.

"INCOMING!"

Everyone looked up and screamed the same when something large was falling from the sky, trying to catch something. The crowd barely managed to get out of the way when the mass landed roughly on the ship, a colorful think dangling off it tail, looking tired.

Toothless widened his eyes. _Thornado, Thiana?_

"The Chief!" Astrid gasped, gliding over to the weakened man on his back. "Sir, what's wrong?"

Stoick was clearly weakening, but that's not the biggest concern. He had a dark aura about him, barely able to speak. "H-Hic-Hiccup... Contract countersign... Pitchner... Berk..My son... Danger...mngh..Hurry..."

And just like that, he turned into a black rose.

"No..." Astrid's eyes reflected horror seeing what has become of the chief.

Jack looked grim. "We seriously need to fix this," he cut the ropes off Toothless himself.

"Jackson," Nicholas approached the heir. Jack turned to face him. "you sure you can handle this? You saw that man. He is not human, he may have powers we have not seen."

Jack pursed his lips. "No, I'm not sure," he admitted. "but North, he's got Hiccup. And I lost him once. I'm not going to lose him again." he said with determination. "I'm ready, I'm nearly a man. You just have to believe in me,"

Nicholas nodded. "All right, take this to defend yourself." he snapped his fingers. Aster brought him a staff with a curve bladed-edge. "and make sure you come back home safely. I didn't hold on to your inheritance to keep it; you're a year away from claiming it, too."

Jack nodded, embracing the man briefly before pulling back. "Take that Dragon," he pointed at Thornado. "and bring down the ship. Take care not to lose the rose either."

Astrid rushed over, mounting Toothless first. Jamie came next, placing a hand on the dragon's shoulder.

"Jamie,"

"I'm coming with you."

Jack frowned a bit. "I can't ask you of that," he said. "this is my battle. If anything were to happen to you..."

"Jack, somehow I caused this. And I need to make it up to you," Jamie said adamantly. "It's you and me, all the way buddy."

Jack smirked. "Guess there's no talking you out of it,"

Toothless snarled. Astrid coughed to get their attention. The boys looked her way. "That's all nice and sweet and all," she drawled. "but if we don't get going, Toothless is gonna incinerate you both, mostly you Jamie. Even if I like you, I couldn't stop him if he did."

Jack and Jamie flinched, the apprentice mounting on the dragon finally. "Er, right... Hey, wait." Brown eyes blinked rapidly. "did you just say you—"

"Go Toothless!"

The Nightfury shot to the skies.

:::::

At the arena, also known as Berk's Dragon Academy, Gobber was in the middle of a question and answer portion between two groups. Fishlegs versus the others. It wasn't a fair fight... On Snotlout, Tuffnut and Ruffnut's part. But any he puts in Fishlegs team won't put up the work. Plus, Hiccup and Astrid still couldn't be found and they were usually in that team.

"Next, each Dragon has a limited number of shots. Ye havta know this so you take care not to miss a shot at a fight," Gobber said. "so how many shots does a Groncle have?"

Snotlout raised his hand quickly, tired of staying a zero. "FIVE?"

"No," Fishlegs followed-up. "Six,"

Gobber rang the bell. "Yes Fishlegs," he smirked. "now go easy on them." the other group groaned, "Now next item..." Before Gobber can continue, the sky suddenly grew dark, when it was sunny bright just seconds ago. On instinct, they scan the skies. "What in Thor's name..." Gobber rushed out, followed by the younger Drakes. His eyes widened in horror. It was the Drake warlock! With... With Hiccup captive! "Pitchner..."

Hiccup was still struggling, trying to push himself away from the warlock, but after doing it for a while, it was getting tedious, nevermind futile. "Let me go Pitch..." He demanded, but it came out more as a whinning plea. "...please..."

Pitchner looked amused, his arms locked in place around the boy's waist. _He really is adorable... _He chuckled delightfully, only tightening his hold, hoisting him up a bit to rub their cheeks together. "But my dear boy, we're just getting to the best part,"

Hiccup hung his head dejectedly, losing his will. What can he do? Without Toothless to back him up, he was just a worthless, good-for-nothing, crippled Drake. Even now, this was his fault. His father was gone, Berk was about to be taken over by this Dark Warlock, and he was a pathetic excuse for a regent for letting it happen, all because he fell in love with a human.

_I did this..._

A mass of Viking Drakes started to gather. "So it was you who kidnapped the regent!" Gobber scowled. "Ya double-crossing, wingless fiend! When Stoick's gets back, he's gonna—!"

Pitchner glared at the man. "I believe you haven't notice my new wing then?" he sneered, changing Hiccup's position so that his new-winged shoulder was out in the open. It was then the Viking Drakes noticed and their eyes widened in horror.

"I-It can't be..." It was Stoick's red-scaled shoulder wing.

"Now then, let's start this over again," Pitchner smiled evilly, transforming to a Dragon. At first, the scales shined with Stoick's blood-red color. But Pitchner wasn't a warlock for nothing. He changed the color into a ashy black color. Hiccup dangled off, the talons hooked on his arms. _**Prepare a banquet. Your Regent is marrying the next ruler of Berk at nightfall. Anyone objects, it will be on his life.**_

:::::

Toothless landed swiftly on the cove where Hiccup's tree once stood, Astrid jumping off before he touched ground. She stretched first. "All right, first things first, we need to find Pitchner. We find him, we find Hiccup." she turned, blinking as she saw the boys still winded.

"First things first..." Jamie wheezed out, falling off Toothless. "... I need a chance to equalize..."

Astrid raised a brow. "You guys shaken up already?" she asked in disbelief.

"In case you forgot," Jack narrowed his eyes. "we're humans. We can't take this much air pressure and THAT much speed easily."

Toothless grunted. _Spineless Humans... _he rolled his eyes._ It's a wonder why Hiccup thinks this guy deserves his affections._

"Good one, Toothless." Astrid couldn't help but laugh at that.

Jack made a look. "Are you guys making fun of me?" he crossed his arms.

"A little, just questioning your worth to be loved by Hiccup, but more for that later." Astrid waved off Jack's indignant expression. "Toothless, do you remember how to get to the Dark depths?"

Jamie raised a brow. "I assume that's the Warlock's secret lair?" he stood up.

"Sort of," Astrid frowned. "it's a good place to start."

They gave her questioning looks, "what do you mean _sort of_?"Jamie asked.

"Well, I mean, if we don't stop him in time, he'll probably be married to Hiccup and take over Berk, so the idea of having a secret lair won't matter."

Jack jumped at that, kicking his staff up and grabbing it by the middle. "Woah, woah, woah." he glared. "Freeze and back up. What's marrying my Hiccup gotta do with a take Over?"

_Your Hiccup?_ Toothless snorted. _says the guy who barely got the idea to kiss him sooner and save us all the trouble._

Jamie made a look. "Did you not listen earlier? That _man-turned-rose_, Astrid called him the Chief. If he's also Hiccup's father then..." he gestured to Jack, as if forcing him to connect the dots himself.

"Woah!" The Prince widened his eyes. "you're saying he's trying to marry into the throne? He's just using Hiccup to get to it, that's what he wants out of kidnapping him?"

Astrid frowned. "Well, I wouldn't call it a _throne. _But yeah, for now, Hiccup's family is the ruling clan. As for that being his reason for wanting Hiccup..." she grimaced. "er, I have reasons to believe that's not exactly _all _he wants from him..."

"What... what are you saying?"

Astrid groaned. "Well... Since it's biologically possible for both female and male Drakes," she narrowed her eyes. "and since he has a thing for our Regent, he probably wants him to bear his kids.."

They took a moment to let that sink in. Toothless growled, even though he already knew that, it still made him angry. Jamie gagged, as if it was a reflex, trying to hold the urge to vomit, he was green in the face. "That's just nasty..."

"Oh _HELL_ no," Jack started climbing towards a random direction. "HICCUUUUP!"

Astrid made a look. "Wow... how gallant." she deadpanned.

Jamie leaned towards Astrid. "Uhm, shouldn't we go after him?" he asked. "he doesn't know where he's going."

"Eh. Let's give him a minute to realize that," Astrid shrugged. Suddenly, they heard a scream as if someone's been caught by surprise. A scream that sounded like Jack's. Astrid and Jamie exchanged wide-eyed looks. "Yeah, forget a minute, let's go after him."

When they reached the clearing, Astrid barely had time to stop Gobber from being bringing a hammer down on Jack's face. It took both her and Jamie to body slam the man off of Jack.

Jamie helped Jack up, he looked befuddled. "He almost HAMMERED me!" the heir gasped.

"Serves you right for going off on your own," Jamie rolled his eyes. "seriously, I know Hiccup needs rescuing. But you're not much help if you end up dying before you get to him."

"A-Astrid?" Gobber gasped. "where in Thor have you been?! And what in Odin's name made you think it was a good idea to bring mortals UP here?! There's a reason it's called a Sanctuary!"

Astrid got on her feet. "Not much of a Sanctuary with Pitchner in charge." she pointed out. "Look, I'll explain later. Right now, where is Pitchner holding Hiccup?"

"The Chief's Home." Gobber replied, eyeing the humans suspiciously. But if Astrid had them under control, then he didn't have to worry about that for now. "His two evil sand mutts got the place guarded. Even if they didn't, we can't spring him without jeopardizing his life. The wedding's preparations are underway..."

Jack raised his hand. "Whoa, YOU'RE ACTUALLY HELPING HIM PREPARE THE WEDDING?" he growled.

"Whoa now, don't ya used that tone on me, mortal!" Gobber sneered. "we ain't got a choice. With Hiccup as leverage, we'd only execute him by refusing. He's not Stoick, but he's the only leader Berk's got."

Jamie frowned. "But if we don't stop Pitchner and the wedding, it's not like Hiccup will do much leading," he pointed out. "he'll have you all under his bidding."

"Don'tcha think I know that, boy?" Gobber conked him in the head, but not hard enough to knock him out. "so you all better have a plan in mind."

Astrid sighed, rubbing her forehead. "First things first," she said. "we've got to get Hiccup."

"I like that idea very much," Jack nodded vigorously. "so how do we do it?"

:::::

Hiccup sighed dejectedly as he levitated sprawled-like over his bed. Saying it was good to be home didn't count at this situation. His father wasn't even there, and he was still bummed by his current predicament. Actually, saying that he was bummed was an understatement.

He's being forced to marrying a psychopathic Warlock in a wedding dress he can't even take off since it's made out of black sand, how that's even possible he didn't even know, his father might be gone forever, it would put anyone in a sour mood. Stoick was the greatest Leader Berk ever had so far, and it was proof that he stayed Chief for centuries now. And the worst part, he might never be able to see Jack again.

"Wow, nice choice of clothing."

Or so he thought.

Hiccup sat up so fast, he felt a bloodrush, rolling off the bed. He groaned, putting a hand over his forehead when another hand was placed over his. Hiccup looked up, blinking at the familiar mischievous smile and dazzling, sweet chocolate eyes.

Hiccup lunged forward, locking his arms around the Prince. Jack laughed, circling his arms around slim waist before standing back up. He'd lift him off the ground if his feet didn't touch the ground already.

"Oh my gods, Jack!" Hiccup sobbed.

Jack chuckled, taking in the boy's scent. "As much as I love you in my arms, we don't have much time. Gobber and Toothless can't distract Pitchner for long, same goes for Astrid and Jamie with those evil sand-shifters." despite this, Jack didn't let go of the Drake.

"I can't believe it's really you!"

"Of course it's me," he said, tightening his hold. "no way you're getting married without me,"

Hiccup paused, thinking about what the Prince said. He pulled away, cocking his head to the side. "You... you want to marry me? N-Knowing what I am?" he gestured his scales.

"What kind of question is that?!" Jack demanded incredulously. "after I flew several heights above the Earth on a Dragon with crazy speed?! Of course I want to marry you!" he cupped the smaller boy's face. Hiccup leaned into the touch contentedly. "the question is if you even want to marry me."

Hiccup bit his lip. "Oh Jack... Of course I do," he sighed, his hand and one claw resting on Jack's chest. "but... It's... It's just not possible anymore..."

Jack frowned, "Don't you say it's impossible..." he growled. "I refuse to accept that."

"Jack, please. You can't stay here, Pitchner will kill you if he found out!" Hiccup paled. "I can't let that happen!"

Jack shook his head furiously. "If it's that crazy jerk all you're worried about, then don't sweat it! I can take him."

Hiccup opened his mouth, but before he can say anything, sandy scythe cut in between them, knocking Jack away from Hiccup, and pinning said Drake to the bed.

Pitchner glared at Jack. "I highly doubt that,"


	9. Fighting Back

"What are you trying to pull, you little mortal?" Pitchner sneered, summoning up his scythe, "I imagined taking over Berk wouldn't be too much trouble, maybe a few Drakes trying to counter my rise to power. I can't believe I'm getting trouble from a mere mortal, as well." he tried for a low swing, Jack had to dodge to avoid getting his legs cut off. As soon as his feet landed back to the floor, Pitchner disappeared only to reappear right in front of the heir, who was kicked right at the gut.

"JACK!" Hiccup screamed as his beloved crashed into the nearest furniture, grunting in pain. "leave him alone Pit—mmph!" Black sand wrapped around the brunette's mouth to silence him, and Hiccup struggled more vigorously. He wasn't going to just lie there and watch Jack get killed for him. He wasn't!

Pitchner grumbled, re-summoning his scythe. "For a human who doesn't have anything to do with Berk, you prove to be quite the nuisance," he tried for another swing but with the dull-area of the blade. Jack was actually hit, and crashed into the wall hard. "but this isn't your fight, Prince."

Jack got on his feet, grabbing hold of his staff. "Haaah!" he charged towards the Warlock, and they clashed weapons. "yeah right! You freakin' made it my fight when you stole Hiccup!"

"Hiccup?" Pitchner sneered at him. "I think I need to make something crystal clear to you. Hiccup is _MINE_, I've only taken what rightfully belongs to me."

Jack's blood boiled as he pushed harder against the Warlock's scythe, the adrenaline pumping in his blood managed to help him overpower Pitchner at that moment. When Pitchner lost his footing, the heir managed to jab Pitchner with the end of his spear. But when he was about to try for a pierce strike, Pitchner just disappeared again. Jack didn't have time to react as he was jostled roughly from behind.

That just wasn't fair. How was Jack suppose to land some decent strikes when the coward kept disappearing to avoid it and appear again to deal his own attack? That just wasn't right. Jack grunted as the Dark man pressed his foot against his chest, one hand tried to get it off while the other attempted to reach for his staff.

"Get away from him!" Hiccup, Thor knows how he finally broke free, tackled the unsuspecting Warlock, shoving him effectively off of Jack, knocking them to the nearest wall.

Jack blinked in surprise. Not really that Hiccup came to his aid, but that he could move in his get up, although the dress did flutter a bit, giving Jack a peek of what's underneath the dress which made the Prince flush. Hiccup was definitely working that dress. If the circumstances weren't what they were, he would've teased him about it.

Pitchner, on the other hand, looks stupefied. "HOW DARE YOU!" he growled. "This is mutiny, I AM YOUR FIANCE! Your future husband!"

Jack snorted, getting on his feet. He kicked his weapon up, catching it with his hand. "Really, how delusional can you g—" he was cut off by Hiccup.

"Yes, Pitch, I'm marrying you, okay?! No more shambles!"

Jack was pretty sure his jaw hit something lower than the floor. "HHH—WHAAAT?!"

"Hm?" Pitchner eyed the scrawny Drake suspiciously.

Hiccup swallowed, finding this as hard as eating ten thousand nails. But there's no other way around it, there was no chance for either one of them in taking out Pitchner. It was hard enough with the disappearing act, but if it came to the point that Pitchner thought he had to end it with a Draconic flare, there's zero chance of Jack surviving that.

The brave Prince was just too human for it.

"You'll have me, and you'll get Berk for_ I-don't-know-how-long _centuries, just please... please..." The brunette spoke with a broken voice. "... Don't hurt him."

Jack widened his eyes in disbelief. _He was doing this for me?! _The Prince shook his head at the absurdity. "No Hiccup, you don't know what you're doing!"

"Well, I am certainly peeved that he's the reason you're willing to cooperate," Pitchner sighed, shaking his head. "but since it makes things easier for me, I'll go along with it."

Hiccup looked relieved, turning to Jack to comfort him and give him assurances, that it was gonna be okay, that he himself wouldn't even believe. But before he can even get a word out, Jack screamed as he fell into a hole that suddenly appeared and swallowed him up.

Hiccup gasped, horrified. "JAACK!" He screamed, rushing towards the hole but arms captured him by waist. He felt tears forming in the corner of his eyes. "You... you lied..."

Pitchner chuckled easily. "Oh don't fret, dove. He's going to be all right, I just decided to, uh, keep him as an official prisoner." he reached for Hiccup's chin, forcing him to look at him straight in the eyes. Despite the smile, the threatening gleam in his eyes was menacing. "a leverage, in case you try anything. You, or any one of your people."

Hiccup slumped in Pitchner's arms, helpless and dejected. Jack may live, but now, the young brunette feared his beloved no longer had a life worth living.

:::::

The first thing Jack remembered when he came to was darkness. When his eyes adjusted, however, he found that he was sharing a cage with the man-er, Drake-with the interchangeable hand from earlier. Except there was nothing on it right now worth mentioning. Prisoners aren't allowed weapons, so the man's hook probably counted for confiscation. Then again, Pitchner didn't take Jack's weapon.

Jack blinked, getting on his knees, and sees Jamie, Astrid, and Toothless sharing a cage similar to his own, and they were dangling off the ceiling, below... Well, it was too dark to see anything beyond, honestly. For all they know, it was a bottomless abyss.

"So, how long 're ya in for, lad?" Gobber jests half-heartedly. "One century? Four?"

Jack stared at the guy blankly.

Gobber shrugged, "Meh, probably won't live that long, I guess. I got life imprisonment for _treason._" he said.

Jack decided he wasn't gonna encourage the conversation to go any further.

"I take it you didn't get to spring Hiccup?" Jamie said lowly.

Jack groaned, leaning hard against the cold cage bars, ashamed for his failure. "Hiccup bargained his full cooperation in exchange that I'll be kept safe and unharmed." he said. "guess he forgot to mention better accomadation... Ugh, Damn it!" he banged on against his prison. "I can't believe I let him down!"

"Ya technic'lly let us all down, human." Gobber pointed out. Jack glared at the man, clearly pissed. "hey, ya gonna blame yerself for this, then blame yerself for the whole thing. Astrid tells me this might not have happen if ya just liplock Hiccup on yer first date."

Jack screamed in frustration.

"Hey, I'm frustrated too, but you don't hear me yelling." Astrid said.

Jamie scratched the back of his head. "Uh, maybe cause you did it earlier?" Astrid punched him in the arm. "Ow... Seriously, ow. I think I preferred getting my ass handed to me by those sand mutts..." he mumbled.

"Okay, back to the issue at hand," Astrid sighed, shaking her head. "we can't just let Pitchner take over Berk. Gobber, do you have a plan?"

In normal circumstances, Hiccup would be the one she would ask. Like when a tribe called the Berserkers tried taking over Berk once, the brunette planned out the counterattack to the very last detail, counting with back up plans A, B, C. But since he wasn't available, the man who took him under apprenticeship would have to do.

"Well, if you I had my hook, I can easily spring this lock open."

Toothless shook his head in annoyance. _Now that we've established what we can't do, how about something that we can? _he snarled.

Jamie ignored Toothless's suggestion, because honestly the snarls were the only things he could register, he voiced out his own suggestion. He said they could try burning out the bars, as soon as he said it, Toothless attempted the feat, but what they got was the plasma blast being reflected and almost burning Jamie alive if the singes at his hair were any hint.

"Figures the cages would rebuff fire attacks." Astrid sighed. "Pitchner's a lot of things, but he's not stupid."

Jamie was patting his hair, ridding himself of the singes. "Okay, new plan."

Meanwhile, Jack was tuning them out, not really getting hopeful when Gobber joined in the brainstorming. He resigned himself to thinking about Hiccup, of course life had to make things hard for him. Finally he meets the person he was meant to love, and it turned out he was so out of this world Jack had to fight a menacing jerk to get him back.

Before Jack can continue angsting, his vision got cloudy until all he can literally see is white. Somewhere in the background, he thought he heard Astrid making a noise and Toothless roaring, sounding somehow close to a cheer, before he was totally out of it...

And the next thing he knew, he was standing in front of what seemed like a council room of, what the Drake Vikings would call, Valhalla.

"What on earth?!"

*A royally-robed man with a strange looking head ornament smiled amusingly down at the mortal, a light chuckle escaping his lips. "Interesting choice of words, however misplaced it is." he said.

Jack blinked, rubbing his eyes, before staring wide-eyed at the man on the throne. "Uh... And just... who are you, might I ask?" he raised a brow. Then, as an afterthought and considering the dignified air around him, he added, getting on one knee. "Uhm, sire?" Of what, Jack had no clue.

"I commend you for taking notice even without clearly knowing who I am," The man smiles once more. "I am Odin, the Alfather, King of Valhalla."

Jack blinked a bit more. Then he easily believed it. He knew enough of stories of the great Odin and his son Thor, although for majority of his life he thought them as myth. But then, when you consider what Hiccup was and knowing the history of Vikings were, Jack should've figured out that Odin existed too. Although, he didn't think the Vikings were actually half-Dragons, half-humans.

"Jackson Overland, sire, scion of a lowly human household."

Although Jack didn't want to refer to his roots as lowly, he thought it seemed appropriate for now. He was talking to a freakin' god after all. That part, he still didn't know why.

"If it's not too rude, might I ask why I am here?"

Odin beckoned a man to step forth, a man Jack didn't notice before. To describe him, he was a bit on the short side, horizontally challenged some people may say, wearing a simple tunic with nothing but a single curly strand of hair on top of his head.

"This is Man in the Moon, called Manny by close associations. He appealed to me about a certain dilemma." Odin explained. "We gods do not usually interfere with human endeavors unless one of our own demi-gods is involved. But I decided to grant MiM his wish, considering it as a a debt."

Jack still didn't follow. "Sooo... I'm here because...?"

"I chose you for the task because you are directly involve. Also, that it might end the feud between the Vikings and Humans... However one-sided it is." MiM said, bowing his head to Odin, before floating down to Jack's level. "The staff, Jackson, if I may?"

Jack blinked. "Uh, the weapon?" Out of nowhere, the weapon North gave him appeared from his hand. "waugh?! How'd I do that?"

MiM cast his hand over it, glowing blue as he did. "Thanks to Lord Odin, the winter Spirit Jokul Frosti has agreed to lend you his powers, which is the only one compatible to you. I regret to say that there is a time limit," MiM looked at Jack in the eyes. "so heed my words, you must liberate Berk and save the one you love before then."

Jack widened his eyes. "Wait-what did you—?"

As soon as the power transfer was over, Jack's vision blurred once more, and he faded into it, the last thing he heard was...

"worry not, you are not alone..."

:::::

"JACK! The hell happened to you?!"

Jack came to Jamie's voice. "Huh... What... Odin...?" he blinked. His vision came to focus, he found himself no longer at the cage, and he saw some strangers looking down at him.

"Woah, ya starting to sound like us now." Gobber mused. "and what in Odin's beard happened to yer hair lad? Er, actually, all of ya."

Jack cocked his head curiously. "My hair? What about it?" he asked.

"Here, see for yourself handsome." A disturbing blond girl showed him her shield, which was fully metallic and you could see your reflection on it.

Jack shifted to face the shield and gawked, "WHAT THE FREAK?!" He stared in disbelief at his reflection... It that was it. His youthful brown hair turned completely dead white, his chocolate brown eyes were now icy blue and his skin was corpse pale!

He had pearly white teeth, though, like they were freshly fallen snow.

In Jack's overwhelmed stated, he suddenly shot to the air, and he screamed at how this was even possible. Maybe staying high in the air for a while has finally made him go mad.

"Words to live by," A boy carbon copy of the blond girl from earlier muses, crossing his arms as he looked at the floating human... Well, they thought he was human till the sudden transformation. "you can make that your title. Uh... What's his name... Jack the the white freak?"

Toothless rolled his eyes and shot a plasma blast towards Jack, effectively bringing him down. _Let's stop fooling around, please._

Ruffnut bent down to Jack's level. "You're freaky all right," she attempted to smile seductively. Jack shuddered, but probably for a different reason. "I like that." she ran a finger down the human's(?) cheek.

Jack wisely moved away.

"Ruff," Astrid face-palmed. "you definitely beat him in being freakier."

"These guys broke us out. At that point, though, you passed out." Jamie told his friend to keep him up to speed. "twins are Tuffnut and Ruffnut, I still don't know which. Snotlout's the one that keeps glaring at me for some reasons, and Fishlegs is the one next to him."

Jack pushed the creepy girl away, and got on his feet shakily, "Yeah, I'll see if I can even remember half of that."

Jamie helped him up before immediately recoiling. "Damn it Jack, you're freaking cold!" he gasped.

Before Jack can think to complain about all the freak comments, dark sand creatures suddenly surrounded them. Everyone got on their guard, forming something like a kill circle. The stallions attacked, and Toothless launched a plasma blast. A bulky brunette charged in with his hammer. Astrid threw an axe, backing up Jamie who didn't really bring a weapon and was only given a dagger by Gobber. Jack scrambled on the ground for his weapon as one closed in on him.

As soon as he picked it up and pointed it to the closing enemy, a icy blue zapped out of the staff and the fearling dissolved into frozen snow. And it didn't get back up anymore. Everyone had a moment to stare at Jack in amazement. Jack was amazed himself, before he smirked mischievously.

"All right, time to have some fun."


	10. Intervention

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Skyelight: Okay, I tried researching for marriage rites for Vikings but I could not find one that's during the ceremony, only before and after. Like, the groom gives the bride the keys to his home the morning after their marriage. And most marriages are arranged, so if the bride disapprove it doesn't matter but it is said that the groom will have some bad luck at first. So if I'm incorrect with the ceremony, I'm so sorry.**
> 
> **(for more info if you're interested go to: www . likesbooks viking2 . html)**
> 
> **Did I get the Barf and Belch's job right? The gas and fire bit? They confuse me up until now.**
> 
> ***I don't know what I'm talking about. Just go with it folks.**
> 
> **No flames please! Battle scenes are not my area of expertise :(((( Me (CoS): That's what Skyelight said, I say the same. I suck at battle scenes.**

Hiccup sighed heavily, steeling himself for the wedding ceremony that was starting. He only had five minutes left, five minutes of relief until he'd be tied down to Pitchner forever and be miserable for the rest of his life. Five minute till the damage that resulted from his decision to become human for three day and woo Jack is completed and permanent.

Five minutes till his entire world would end.

Those minutes felt like seconds when he heard the sound of music, and sucked in a breath. Hiccup tried to keep his mind on Jack, reminding himself that he was doing this for him, before he floated out the door of his house and begun the procession towards Pitchner, making his way through his people, locked in place by black chains woved from sand, just like his accursed dress was.

"Smile, Hamish," Pitchner said charmingly, taking Hiccup's hand as he made it beside him. "you're about to become my wife."

Hiccup scowled as he took a torch from it's position on a pole, pulling his hand away. "Only to prevent Jack from getting killed," he turned towards the altar of Freyja. "it was never under my consent... so don't even think for a second this would be a prosperous union for you..."

"Oh Hiccup, you always make things so complicated," Pitchner sighed, before reaching forward and grabbing Hiccup's hand roughly, causing the boy to cry out in pain. "remember that once we are joined together, whether your life will be miserable or comfortable will depend solely up to me."

Hiccup glared, his Viking stubbornness giving him the strength not to cower. "Trust me Pitch, it's already miserable. I'll be happier if you kill me after the wedding," he spat.

Pitchner glared daggers at the younger drake, tightening the grip on the boy's hand as he grabbed his own torch. "That can be very well arranged," he dragged them up to the altar, where there was a dead sheep and some crops to be sacrificed to the goddess of love and fertility, granting them the union. "Ladies first."

"Of course, I'm the bride." Hiccup snorted, before frowning at the altar. He sighed deeply, slowly rising up his torch to start up the sacrifice first. The flames barely touched the fleece when a sudden burst of cold frost putting the fire out. The brunette blinked, dropping the torch before the frost reached his fingers. "What in Odin-" he trailed off as he heard a yelp, turning his head he sees Pitchner pinned to the nearest pillar. He scrutinized the objects pinning the warlock to the pillar. "But... that's a Nadder's..."

"Hiccup!"

The young Drake barely had time to look up when he was was forcefully grabbed and brought up the air, the dress disintegrating and his regular clothes were now seen. Hiccup screamed in panic, wrapping his arms around his abductor.

"Wh-who are you?!"

The white-haired stranger chuckled, "Aww, Hic, I'm hurt. You forgot about me?" he rubbed his nose against the brunette's roundish one. "and I thought you turned human to be with me,"

"Ja-Jack?!" Hiccup gasped, clamping his mouth with one hand in disbelief. "Oh my gods, it is you! Jack!" His eyes filled with tears and he wrapped his arms around the heir. Sure, he was wondering about the new look. But more for that later. "... You're okay..."

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream rang out the whole area, and even from the air, the two can feel the ground shake, and angry dark clouds surrounded all of Berk. Pitchner was mad.

"Hiccup!" From on top of a Nadder, Astrid hollered, flanking Jack's side with Jamie behind her. "kiss and make out later, we have a Warlock to put in his place!"

Hiccup felt something poking his side, and he turned to see Toothless. "Got it," he got on his dragon with Jack hovering protectively. "we need to figure out a way to free the Villagers!"

"I'm already on it!" Jack somersaulted, "Woo-hooooo!" he flew directly to the general area of the villagers were placed during the wedding.

Since Hiccup was liberated, they've been trying to struggle against their binds to no avail as dark stallions closed up on them like predators. The white-haired Prince turned spirit hovered above, and pointed his staff down towards them the Vikings, his frost attack causing the sand to disintegrate like it had with Hiccup's wedding dress, and the substance wasn't able to reform.

"Yeah! I got it!"

New problem, the Villagers were still surrounded. And every time Jack tried to take a mutt down, another replaces it almost immediately. There was a lot of them that they were able to divide themselves. Some guarding the Vikings, the others going toward Jack.

"Whoops..."

Hiccup's heart jump to his throat in panic, turning to his companions. "We have to help him! Ruff, Tuff! Cover for him, get their attention; make 'em mad!" he instructed.

"That's my specialty!"

"Since when? Everyone knows I'm the annoying one." To prove it, Tuffnut pulled his tongue out at his sister, and purposely turning the Dragon head he was on around so he was upside down. "See?"

Hiccup groaned, shaking his head. "Just do what I told you! Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Jamie you guys lead the Villagers to where their Dragons are!" he said.

"What are you gonna do?" Fishlegs asked, hoping he could exchange his job if Hiccup's turned out to be a safer one.

Hiccup settled himself properly on his saddle, getting a good grip. "I have a score to settle with Pitch," he clenched his fists, his father in his mind's eye. "Let's go bud!"

The teams broke.

"Hey! Why can't they just turn into Dragons themselves?" Jamie hollered through the roaring wind. "Drakes can do that, right?"

Astrid looked over her shoulder. "We can't with Pitchner being in command!" she answered. "he may have failed marrying Hiccup, but he's technically got Chief's wing, he can control who can or can't transform now!"

"Yeah, can't expect you humans to get it!" Snotlout snorted, puffing his chest. "only cool Drakes like us can—" he trailed off as Astrid did something to her Nadder to narrowly miss Snoutlout with a spike. "gah!"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Focus at the task, Snotlout! You could—" she trailed off as she heard Jamie gasp.

"Astrid lookout below you!"

The blond didn't have time to react when a stallion swoosh by and nearly knocked her off. Actually, it really would've if Jamie hadn't shove her down. But in the process, he was knocked off Stormfly

"AHHHHH!"

"JAMIE!"

Jamie fell long till crashed landed on some kind of building, and the only thing that saved him from severely breaking the bones of his body was some kind of tarp-like cloth thing. The brunette rubbed his head, pulling the cloth off him.

"Man, that could've gone a lot worse..."

Then, he heard a cry that sounded familiar. Jamie lifted his head up, seeing the twins rushing in with their dragons... er, Dragon. It was hard to remember when the creature had two heads. But Jamie didn't have time to dwell on that when the room was suddenly filled with more of those stupid sand mutts. And Jamie had a feeling those two overdid their job.

"Barf, gas!"

Jamie blinked and widened his eyes as the room filled with a green smoke-like fog thing. And the words that came out of Ruffnut's mouth wasn't very comforting seeing as he was in the middle of something flammable, and with Dragons too...

"Belch, breathe!"

That's it. Jamie was panicking. "NO, no, no guys! I'm right here! Wait a minute!" he tried making his presence known. But judging from what Astrid told him before the operation to liberate Berk started, these two had a flare for mass destruction. He saw the dragon head which had the flame open its mouth, seeing sparks already. "Oh screw it," as an instinct than a real plan, he hid back under the cloth and prayed it was thick enough to defend him from the sudden burst of flames.

The first thing he realized after the blast? The cloth was made of a Dragon's dead skin. In short, fireproof.

:::::

Hiccup looked around for Pitchner, fully aware of the chaos going on as Vikings on their Dragons fight against sand creatures. For now, it looked like either one could win. But he knew if he could take care of Pitchner, it would fix everything and these mutts would disappear with him...

"Ragh!"

Hiccup yelped as he was rammed roughly at the side along with Toothless. He could barely hang on to the saddle as Pitchner struggled in his dragon form with Toothless. His grip tightened, his knuckled going white.

"Toothless, plasma blast!"

Toothless followed his rider's command and launch a plasma blast square on Pitchner's chest. The force knocked him back, however, causing him to be knocked off the Nightfury's back, the impact of Toothless's shot even making him go off feets away.

*The thing about being a Drake, you never have to worry about gravity. But Hiccup was high in the skies when he was knocked off, so the pressure from the high air as he went down slowly got heavier and he felt like his body being crushed. But before he could impact on Berk's ground and create a crater, something swoop down and caught him bridal style.

"You have got to stop falling for me, Hic," Jack teased, adjusting Hiccup to be placed on his back.

Hiccup wrapped his arms around Jack's neck to hang on. "Can we not do this now? I need to get back to Toothle—NO!"

Hiccup suddenly cried out when he sees the battle between Toothless and Pitchner wasn't going well as they struggled and wrestled mid-air. Toothless roared in pain as Pitchner managed to get a bite on him

"Hurry Jack!"

Jack flew quickly, rushing to aid the Dragon. "Haaah!" He launched a wave of frost towards their general direction. Pitchner stops short, making the mistake to take a look and was completely off guard as a growing burst of frost consumed him. For that moment, Jack has finally best Pitchner.

But only for that moment.

"Insignificant Fools!" Pitchner's voice boomed, and the frost transformed to dark sand until the warlock appeared. "you're going to have to try a lot harder to even keep up with me! Hah!" The warlock gestured wildly with his arms, the dark sand spreads out to attack. It shot at Toothless's one wing, messing up his flight balance.

A spiral blast went towards Hiccup and Jack.

"No!"

The white-haired heir threw Hiccup off his back, sending him down towards Toothless, who immediately cocooned him protectively, and he pointed his staff forward, launching other burst of frost to intercept the attack.

Frost met darkness.

"You're years out of my league, human!" Pitchner laughed maniacly, strengthening the force of his attack. "Years away!"

Jack grunted, gripping his staff tightly and trying his best to keep the attack at bay. But something went wrong. The heir caught a strand of his hair starting to revert back to brown. Jack widened his eyes, and in that moment of distraction, Pitchner maximized his power and sent Jack down.

"JAAACK!"

:::::

Hiccup rushed towards Jack as soon as Toothless touched ground. He went right next to the Prince, taking note of his staff split in half that was reverting back to its former appearance with a curved blade, and Jack's white hair was slowly turning back to its original color.

"Damn it," Jack winces, running a hand through his hair. "why'd the magic have to wear off so soon?"

Hiccup frowned, taking the young man's face to his hands gingerly. "Magic? What are you talking about Jack?"

Before Jack could respond, Pitchner came down to their level. Toothless growled, preparing to pounce and attack. Unfazed, the warlock summoned his scythe and knocked Toothless off to the side into unconsciousness.

"Toothless!" Hiccup cried out in worry, but he was afraid to leave Jack's side as the warlock approached them. If anything, he hovered more protectively. "stay back! I won't let you hurt him!"

Jack tried to move, but he was too tired and in much pain. He grasped Hiccup's arms tightly, glaring at Pitchner.

"Oh my dear boy, I'd hate to burn both of you." Pitchner 'tsk'-ed, shaking his head. "must this end this way? You know, I can give you one more chance to apologize and we can put this behind us." his hand reached down to the young Drake only to have Hiccup trying to bit it off. Pitchner glared angrily. "So be it."

Pitchner transformed into his Dragon state, towering over the boys. Hiccup clutch the Prince to his chest, tears spilling from his eyes. "I love you, Jack." he whispered.

"I love you, too. Hiccup..."

Pitchner exhaled deeply, conjuring enough gas inside his jaw until he was ready to let out a flamethrower.

"HICCUP, JACK!"

As soon as Pitchner launched his flamethrower, something got between them, preventing the attack from touching the boys. But Pitchner didn't know that, he only knew that he was winning. That soon, no matter what happens, he'll be ruler of all Berk.

He didn't expect to be stabbed as soon as the smoke cleared. He only had time to widen his eyes to horror, and open his mouth in mid-speech before he turned into black sand himself.

:::::

_ **"Jamie?!" Jack gasped as soon as Jamie stepped in, blocking the flames from reaching them by holding up a cloth made of... what, dragon scales ... "what are you—?"** _

_ **Jamie grunted, feeling the heat from the other side intensifying. "Never mind that now! The weapon, Jack! Do it quickly!" he growled.** _

_ **Hiccup looked around, his eyes falling on Jack's staff. He picked it up and shoved it to Jack's hands, but the Prince needed support. The Drake supported Jack's weight, assisting him with the weapon. He could do it himself if he ever knew how to handle weapons. Jack got a firm grip on the handle, and as soon as the flames were finished, Jack and Hiccup plunged the weapon through the cloth Jamie held up and stabbed Pitchner right in the heart.** _

Hiccup blinked wildly as they watched the black sand Pitchner had been reduced too be carried off to by wind. Jack fell back, dizzy, and the Drake supported him. Jamie dropped the cloth before collapsing to the ground, breathing heavily.

"Please tell me it's over..."

Jack didn't respond, instead, he just looked at Hiccup staring into his green eyes and reaching out for his hands and bringing them to his face. The brunette smiled at him adoringly before wrapping his arms around the Prince eagerly. Jack laughed, almost like a breath of relief, before wrapping his own arms around the Drake. That's when Toothless decided to come to, blinking his large cat-like eyes, and looking over to Jamie questioningly.

Jamie smiled, shaking his head. "Yeah," he chuckled. "it's over."

It took a while, but Jamie finally managed to break up the make out session so they could return to the village and see how things are doing. As soon as the Berkians saw Hiccup, they broke into a cheer, gathering around him and the two humans.

"Hiccup defeated the Warlock!"

"Berk is at peace forever!"

"Cheers!"

Hiccup smiled shyly, overwhelmed. This was the first time he actually felt accepted by his people, and it was all because of... "I didn't do it alone," he said, bringing Jack and Jamie to the front. The Berkians continued cheering, that there were humans in Berk sanctuary stopped mattering. Hiccup was ecstatic. Now, the only thing that would make this perfect is if his father were...

Suddenly, a gush of wind passed by, and everyone tensed up. But what happened next was unexpected, riding Thornado and herding forward Drake captives that were once roses before, was Stoick.

"Dad!" Hiccup beamed, rushing over quickly.

Likewise, Stoick dismounted Thornado and immediately rushed toward his son. "Hiccup!"

As soon as they met halfway, Stoick gathered his son in his arms. "Dad, oh Thor, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I didn't for you to, I'm so sorry!" Hiccup managed to get out.

"I know, son, I know." Stoick pulled away, "it's all right. You defeated Pitchner, I'm very sorry if I ever made you question my pride for you, as my son." Hiccup beamed at that, never imagining he'd ever hear his father say that. Stoick stood up, and addressed Jack and Jamie. "To you both, I owe an apology and my deepest gratitude."

Jack smiled, holding his hand out and Stoick took it, giving a firm shake... a little too firm. The heir winced.

"Thank you for everything you've done here," Stoick said. "is there anything I could do to repay you?"

Jack stepped back, giving a slight bow. "It was our pleasure, sir."

"But since we're on the subject," Jamie interjected. "we might need a ride back down."

Stoick laughed. "Of course. Consider it done," he nodded.

"Aw come on," Jack cast a look to his friend. "I wanted to ask for something like marriage. I mean, everyone back home is expecting me to come home with a bride after this."

Stoick raised an alarming brow at this, and Hiccup looks stunned as if remembering something.

Jamie nudged his friend, rolling his eyes. "Jack, come on, courtesy. They can still hear you. Jeez, I wonder how you're supposed to be a noble sometimes." he commented dryly.

"All right, all right. Let's get you guys back to Earth," Astrid laughed, taking Jamie's hand and leading him away with Stormfly at tow. The brunette willingly followed.

Jack smirked at Hiccup, waiting. The brunette smiled back, but it was tight. Stoick leaned down to his level.

"Erm, son, does he know about... that minor issue?"

Hiccup swallowed, shaking his head. "I haven't gotten a chance to tell him yet." he whispered, going towards Jack, Toothless right behind him.

Stoick stood straight as the two went off, following after Astrid and Jamie.

:::::

Astrid and Jamie were already gone when Hiccup and Jack arrived at the edge the humans first stood on when they got to Berk. And Hiccup was saddling up Toothless for the flight.

Hiccup stood from his bent position, facing Jack. "Well, he's all ready to go when you are." he told the heir.

"All right," Jack beamed, mounting on the dragon before facing Hiccup, "well?" he held out his hand for the boy to take.

Hiccup looked at the hand with dread. "Well what?" he asked, stalling.

"Aren't you coming with me? Like an escort or something?"

Hiccup chuckled but it was forced. "That's not necessary," he said. "Toothless can handle it just fine."

"Awww come on Hic," Jack pouted playfully. "you're not gonna make me beg are you? That's not very dignifying."

Hiccup smiled sadly. "No, it's not that." he sighed, "just getting a head start. We need to get use to good byes."

"Good bye?" Jack blinked, wide-eyed. "why are we saying good bye? I thought... After this, we could finally be together."

Hiccup looked broken, even more so than he had when he was about to be married to Pitchner. "Jack, why do you think I had to make that bargain with the warlock?" he asked bitterly. "we can't be together... as long as one of us is human and the other, a Drake. It just can't be."

"Does that really matter?" Jack asked desperately, grabbing Hiccup's hands and bringing them to his chest. "we love each other... we wanna be together, isn't that enough? Who cares if our kinds are too different? We—"

Hiccup cut him off, pulling his hands away. "You deserve better! Okay?! You don't deserve to be tied down to a Drake!" he cried out, tears spilling from his eyes.

"I think I have every right to decide that for myself."

"Damn it, Jack, you don't get it!" Hiccup pulled on his hair. "A Drake's lifespan is for centuries! If you ever make it as far as a hundred years old, I'll look like as if I only aged one human year!"

Jack widened his eyes, realizing the tragic truth. Hiccup rubbed at his eyes furiously.

"Y-you..." The brunette sobbed, choking on his tears. "you deserve to b-be with someone who can grow old with you, not someone who'll only watch you grow old. And you can't make me watch you die slowly while I'm still in the middle of my youth... That's too cruel... for both of us..."

Jack frowned deeply, feeling his own eyes water. "B-but Hic... I... You're the only one I want," he said despairingly. "the only one I ever love this much in heaven knows how long... I can't live without you by my side..."

"I'm sorry Jack but..." Hiccup put his hands down, looking down. "... you're going to have to try." he turned away, and gliding off back to the village. "Good bye!"

"Hiccup, come back!" Jack tried going after him but before he could even dismount Toothless took flight, knowing it's what his rider would've told him to do. "HICCUUUUP!"

Although that didn't mean he approved.


	11. Happily ever after

The Berkians were in the middle of repairing the damages and carnage, starting off with gathering the herd of sheep and yaks and picking up some fallen wood. Stoick picked up a hammer and shield when they heard Hiccup come back, lifting their heads up to see the Chief's son rushing towards the house and slamming the door shut. They swore they saw him crying.

Stoick frowned deeply, and Gobber stepped beside him. "Well," he grunted. "I guess the talk didn't go too well." Stoick narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Eh. Shame, not exactly the desired outcome after a hero's victory."

"Oh what am I gonna do with him, Gobber?" Stoick turned to the blond man.

Gobber shrugged nonchalantly. "Let him go with that human."

"I'm serious Gobber."

"So am I." Gobber shot back. "you can see how much pain he is already by just saying good bye to him."

Stoick grunted, rubbing the back of his head. "I can't do that, giving him away... He's the only family I have." he said. "he's the last thing I have left of my wife, Gobber."

"But when your time's up, like it almost was, who's going to be left for him?" Gobber asked pointedly. "I won't say anything anymore, Stoick. Your his father, you'll know what to do with him eventually." he patted the Chief on his back before going off to repair his forgery.

Stoick sighed, rubbing his forehead. Even if he did let Hiccup go after the human Prince, that still won't fix the issue of the lifespan. Not to mention who would take after him and rule over Berk and the Hairy Hooligan tribe? The only way for the seat of power to transfer to a different family is if the current Chief couldn't produce an heir. He didn't know if it applied if he decides to give his son away. Whatever his solution was, he hoped it could end up with a happy resolution for all.

He decided to consult the village Elder, Gothi. And she answered by giving him a thick book about their divine deities. Then she writes down a message on the dirt.

_It'll be up to you what to do next._

:::::

"Thanks for the ride, Astrid." Jamie jumped off the Nadder before turning back to the blond. "Although I'm pretty sure spinning around a lot of times was completely unnecessary." he smiled dryly.

Astrid laughed, crossing her arms. "I told you it was a detour." she said.

"Sure it was," Jamie rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure all Drake detours consists of making passengers fall off and catching them at the last minute."

Astrid smirked. "No, but it really should." she teases, "the look on your face was priceless."

Before Jamie could make a comeback, Toothless touched ground. Jamie and Astrid turned their heads and saw the Nightfury throwing Jack off a bit too roughly before immediately taking off once more. Jack immediately got to his feet, moving as if to try and catch up to the dragon. But that's pretty stupid.

"No, wait!" Jack screamed. "you have to take me back!"

Jamie and Astrid exchanged concerned looks. The brunette went towards his friend, the blond jumped down her dragon to follow his lead.

"Jack, what's wrong, why isn't Hiccup with you?" Jamie placed his hand on the Prince's shoulder.

Jack whipped his head, blinking his eyes that looked red from crying a lot. "Jamie, I... Astrid!" the heir made to grab the female Drake. "Please, I need... I need you to—" he fumbled with his words, holding the girl a bit too roughly.

Astrid took Jack's arm and threw him off her shoulder. Jack screamed before grunting in pain. Jamie gawked, looking at the girl incredelously.

"Why is it always violence with you?"

Astrid shrugged, patting her hands. "It's not violence, it's communication." she said matter-o-factly. "My message? Hands off. Now what's your deal, Jack?"

"It's..." Jack choked, sitting up. "Hiccup and I... We can't be together..."

Jamie blinked and Astrid looked stunned. "Why not?" The blacksmith apprentic asked in shock. "I thought things would be all right after the whole Warlock deal."

"So did I, Jamie..." Jack stood up shakily, looking down. "so did I... but now, I lost him again..." he walked away, back to the mansion doors. North was there to greet him, but he hardly paid him mind.

Astrid suddenly spoke. "I completely forgot..." she muttered. "... our lifespan is too different. We live for centuries, humans are lucky if they live ever get to live about a hundred."

"So does that mean..." Jamie frowned, doing the math in his head. "there can't be an _'us' _too...?"

Astrid swallowed, not wanting to answer that. Not wanting to accept the answer to that.

:::::

Astrid finally returned when the sun was down, sighing as her heart felt heavy. She had to say good bye to Jamie, but the young man pleaded that if it was the last time, he wanted to spend more time with her first. She couldn't refuse.

The blond put Stormfly into her stable when someone stepped out from the shadows. Astrid starts, turning around to find the chief. "Sir, what brings you here?" she stood straight.

"Astrid, I'm going to need your help." Stoick held up two vials containing a celestial substance. "and the Prince's friend, too."

Astrid blinked, cocking her head in confusion. _Jamie?_

**Stoick went to a hidden cove with a lake, just like the book had instructed. It told him that if there was good reason, the Chief could make one appeal to the gods. He wasn't sure if his son's happiness qualified for the gods' as a good reason, but for Hiccup he was going to try.**

**As soon as the sun sets and the moon shone brightly, everything turned white for the Chief and the next thing he knew, he found himself at such a majestic place, with Odin himself and his wife Freyja stood before him beside a throne.**

**Valhalla.**

**Stoick fell to his knees and bowed down to the two deities. "Rise, Chief Stoick," Odin instructed, "we've been expecting you."**

**"Quite, now speak." Freyja spoke kindly yet sternly. "what is your appeal to us?"**

**Stoick stood straight, trying to appear dignified while still humbling himself before the two immortals. "Great Lord Odin, Queen Freyja, I humbly ask that you grant my son happiness." he said. "I hope you find him deserving of such,"**

**"Yes, we know your son. We find the feat he accomplished that resulted the end of emnity of your kind toward the humans to be quite astounding." Odin nodded. "but we regret to inform you that, as you hoped, we cannot transform this Prince into a Drake, the royal mortals of Earth are directly outside our area of authority."**

**Freyja stepped forward. "You realize what this means, don't you?" Stoick looked torn, but he nodded vaguely. "I see. Well, like your friend told you, this will be entirely up to you."**

Stoick looked down at the sleeping face of his son, by the looks of those tearstains, Hiccup probably cried himself to sleep. He heard rustling from behind, and when he looked back, he saw Astrid has arrived with Jamie.

"Shh, quietly now."

Jamie stepped quickly next to the chief, his heart pounding against his chest with excitement and anxiety. And he knew, mostly hoped, Astrid felt the same. He was also doing this for them.

"What is it I have to do, sir?"

Stoick held out his open palm, Jamie took that as cue to place his arm on it. With a small blade, Stoick carefully sliced a line on the human's skin. Jamie winced, but tried to keep it down.

They wanted to surprise the young Drake.

Stoick place one vial below the cut, holding the arm out so that droplets of blood would fall into the opening. He gave it to the human to hold for a moment as he took his son's own arm, the scaled one, and as he did with Jamie's, gently sliced the scales. Hiccup winces, and they all flinched and held their breath. But probably because of the exhaustion from grief and crying, the boy didn't stir. He had the fluid drop into a different vial.

Stoick once again took the vial Jamie held, and replaced it with the other one. He held up the first vial above Hiccup's head. "Are you ready," Stoick asked quietly. "... my son?"

"Y-yes," Jamie nodded, swallowing nervously.

He lifted the vial he held close to his mouth. Stoick nodded, and made to pour drops from the vial he held to his son's slightly opened mouth. At the same time, Jamie took a sip from his own vial. Almost instantly, Jamie fell back, and Astrid supported him, making sure he doesn't drop the vial that might wake Hiccup up with the shatter. Slowly, vaguely, but most certainly, something about the two boys started to change.

"Sir, is it okay now?"

Stoick nodded, placing a hand on Hiccup's forehead. "Yes, it's done, Astrid." he smiled sadly. "there's just one problem left."

"And what's that sir?"

Stoick sighed, "how much I'm going to miss him." he answered.

:::::

Hiccup woke up feeling heavy. He blamed it for crying a lot after he said good bye to Jack, he reached up, rubbing his eyes. He didn't feel like getting up yet, actually, he didn't think there was anymore purpose to get up and move on at all.

He rolled over to the side a bit too much, and ended up falling off the bed... As in, he really fell off, his body crashing down to the floor. That woke him up. Hiccup got on his knees, blinking wildly. "Wha-what?!" he gasped, wondering how was it that he managed to meet the ground. Then he noticed his hands.

There were both flesh, not a single scale left. Gawking, he looked to his right shoulder. and his wing was gone. Alarmed, he got on his feet and stumbled out of the house in a rush, trying to look for his father. He opened the door and rushed out, only to be met by the Berkians gathered outside his home. They raised their hands to their chest, a gesture of respect and farewell, his father at the very center, Toothless beside him.

"D-dad, I don't—" Hiccup stammered, wide-eyed, his eyes scanning the crowd. Until his eyes found Astrid, and a familiar human beside her... except he wasn't human anymore. He gawked, "J-Jamie?! How are you—what are you...?!"

The former human now had scales... His green scales, to be exact. Jamie smiled at younger brunette. "Well, for starters, we share each other's blood now." he chuckled. "so you could say we're blood brothers."

"Oh, and he's the regent now, too." Astrid quipped, intertwining her fingers with Jamie's. "so you're off the hook."

Hiccup had a slow time processing this, but when he finally got the general idea, he turned his head to his father who had been approaching him with Toothless. "B-but dad... How did this..." he stammered.

"I'll explain later, son." Stoick smiled, placing both hands on his shoulders. "but right now, isn't there someone you want to share this news with?"

Hiccup broke into the widest smile possible, wrapping his arms around his father. When he pulled away, he mounted on to Toothless, and they took off.

:::::

North was discussing somethings with Jack that morning, like the damages done to the airship used recently during the series of weird events. The man knew that it probably wasn't the best time for this, but he was also hoping to get the Prince's mind off his grief.

But a broken heart is hard to mend.

Jack sighed, staring at his glass of water. By the vague reflection, he noticed that his eyes were still blue. The only thing that seemed to stay from his transformation. This didn't help him at all, but it gave him more ache in his heart for he recalls that he changed into a spirit to rescue his beloved, and at the end, he couldn't keep him.

Suddenly, he heard Aster screaming, followed by a loud roar. Jack flinched, lifting his head up towards the sound. And the doors leading to a small balcony were blown right open. For some reasons, he felt the urge to rushed towards the opening. But he walked towards the doors slowly, as if in anticipation. He was not disappointed by what he saw.

"JACK!"

Jack blinked, rubbing at his eyes to ensure that his beloved Drake was right there in front of him... No, that was wrong. Hiccup wasn't a Drake anymore. Jack choked on a gasp, his hands brought up to cover his mouth in pleasant disbelief.

"H-Hiccup... You... you're..."

Hiccup grinned, and since it's clear that the balcony was just too small from Toothless to land on, he made to jump down. Jack saw this coming somehow, and rushed over to the edge as he leapt. As soon as the brunette's feet touched the railings, the Prince caught his waist, and spun him around, laughing in pure delight.

"Oh my god, Hiccup!" He embraced him tightly when he settled the brunette's feet to the floor. He breathed his scent, and was in the verge of tears. "you're here, you're actually here..."

North stood by the doors, smiling at the scene.

The two pulled away for a moment, Jack smirked. "And you're human!" he said, "don't tell me you made another bargain."

"No, I don't think that's the explanation this time." Hiccup chuckled, tightening his hold around the Prince's neck, leaning their foreheads together. "we're fresh out of Warlocks."

Jack snickered, "I'll say," he shrugged. "so you're going to explain this to me or what?"

"In due time, somethings need to be explained to me first. But for now," Hiccup smirked, "shut up and kiss me." he quoted Jack.

Jack laughed merrily, and happily obliged.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A week after, on an Airship high above the skies.

"With this ring, I, Prince Jackson, be wed to Hamish, and vow to watch over him, to guard him with my life, his hopes, his wishes, and his dreams," Jack smiled brightly, lifting Hiccup's hand up and inserting a gold ring to his ring finger. "for he is all that I'll have, all that I am, and all that I will ever need."

Hiccup beamed, and took his turn eagerly. "With this ring, I, Hamish, be wed to Prince Jackson, and promise to treasure him, to love, to kiss, to sweetly hold, through all life's sorrows and delights, I'll keep his heart beside me." he said solmenly, smiling tenderly.

The Minister nodded, "By the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you two husbands. You may now kiss your beau." he chuckled.

Jack grinned, lifting up the veil, the only bride costume requirement Hiccup allowed himself to wear, and leaned down to kiss the brunette. Everyone cheered, Drakes and humans alike... and a hummingbird.

Right on cue, Toothless launches as Plasma blast through the air followed by several others, with the final two, coming from Jamie and Astrid, were launched above the newly-weds.

They touched down beside the two, reverting back to their Drake forms and embrace them. Jack and Jamie bro-fisted, and the newly made Drake is glad he finally repaid his debt to the Prince.

Toothless headbutted his rider, and will always remain his rider no matter what happens. Hiccup stroked him behind the ears before heading to the edge of the ship where a large Dragon hovered.

Hiccup smiled brightly as the Dragon reverted to his Drake form, and he embraced his father, tears forming at the corner of his eyes.

"I love you, dad." he whispered.

"Me too, son."

Stoick said, pulling back lest he'd break into tears too. The man nodded, and Hiccup looked behind him to where Jack stood, smiling and bowing slightly to the Chief. Hiccup gave his father one more look before leaving his side and going towards Jack, who eagerly gathered him in his arms. The heir chuckled lightly.

"What's so funny?"

"I never thought things would end up like this," Jack admitted, "but I've got no complains."

Hiccup smiled, reaching up to caress his lover's face, and Jack leaned into the touch that made him fall for the brunette in the first place. "You're sure?" He stood on his tiptoes and Jack met him halfway in a passionate kiss.

"Yes, not a single one." Jack pulled away, smiling as he led him to the center of the ship, into a dance, "_Now we can walk, now we can run, n__ow we can stay all day in the sun..._"

Hiccup chuckled, letting Jack lead him to a twirl."_Just you and me, I'll forever be, __part of your world..._"


End file.
